Wildcat
by H. J. Hunter
Summary: Kara Grant, granddaughter of Ted Grant, and protégé to Black Canary has been the new Wildcat since she was 10. Now, 6 years later, she, along with Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash set out to prove their worth to the Justice League.
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing related to Young Justice, except my OC.**

* * *

 _ **Independence Day**_

 _Washington D.C._

 _July 4, 2010 14:00 EDT_

"Why is it that whenever something important happens, the guys are always the ones who are late?" I complained. My mentor, Black Canary, set a calming hand on my shoulder and laughed.

"Be patient. They'll be here. Believe me, Roy will make sure they get here." I rolled my eyes, looking up at the Hall of Justice. Today is the day.

"Been waiting long?" A voice called out from behind us. I turned to see Green Arrow and Speedy walking toward us. I smirked at GA when I replied.

"Wouldn't have had to wait at all if you had let us tag along."

"Very funny, Whiskers." Speedy commented. My eyes narrowed beneath my mask at the nickname he gave me.

"I'm not a house cat, Roy."

"In your mind maybe." GA muttered under his breath. I punched him in the arm, making him wince.

"Uh, why are we beating up Green Arrow?"

We all turned around to face Batman and Robin. The latter had his arms crossed over his chest with his signature grin plastered on his face.

"Don't ask, Bird Boy." I said, placing my hands on my hips. Roy kept quiet with no emotion on his face. While our mentors started chatting and Roy was moping, Robin and I struck up a conversation.

"How much you wanna bet KF and Flash will be the last ones here?" I asked. The younger boy grinned at the irony.

"I wouldn't be surprised. They're always late." It was true; even though both speedsters could break the sound barrier without breaking a sweat, they were always the last ones to arrive.

"So who else is supposed to be here?"

"Aside from us and Speedy, just KF and Aqualad." Robin explained. I nodded slowly, thinking about the last time I had seen either of them. It had to have been at least a year. The Boy Wonder and I were so focused on our conversation that we didn't even notice that Aquaman and Aqualad had shown up. It wasn't until our mentors cut us off that we realized they were there. Aqualad was quiet like Roy, but he didn't have the attitude that made Roy so lovable.

Finally, sans Kid Flash, we lined up with our mentors, facing the Hall of Justice.

"Today is the day." I heard Batman say.

"Welcome to the Hall of Justice." GA said, placing his hands on Roy and I's shoulder. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

"Headquarters of the Justice League." Aquaman finished.

Black Canary leaned in and whispered, "Your grandfather will be so proud of you."

My smile softened a bit when I replied, "I know."

"Aw, man! I knew we'd be the last ones here!"

I held back a laugh as I looked over at Kid Flash, then glanced over at Robin who was covering his mouth to conceal his own amusement. This was going to be fun.

* * *

Tourists snapped photos of us as we walked into the Hall. Some of them were arguing about what to call Kid Flash, which made me snicker under my breath. But I paid little attention to the cameras, keeping my eyes focused on the Hall, while the boys argued over the term 'sidekick'. At least, I was focused until I heard someone in the crowd shout out.

"Where's the real Wildcat? I was expecting the real deal, not some copy cat!" Okay, that stung. Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm not the first Wildcat. The original was my grandfather, Ted Grant. He hasn't been on the scene in decades though. I took up his mantle when I was 10; he taught me the basics of fighting and when he turned 89, I started training with Black Canary. But I'm no fake.

The outburst made me cringe slightly but I didn't stop walking. In return, I got a lot of confused and somewhat worried stares, not only from the people surrounding me, but also from the crowd of tourists. Once we were inside, Robin was the first to try and convince me to talk.

"You okay, Cat?"

"I'm fine." I replied curtly, refusing to make eye contact, "Words are empty. Sticks and stones, remember?"

"Robin, Speedy, Wildcat, Aqualad, Kid Flash, welcome." We were greeted by Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado at a door that read 'Authorized Personnel Only' that was tucked between the massive homages to the founding members of the League. Manhunter and Tornado led us to an open area with bookshelves, chairs and a super computer.

"You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully stocked galley and, of course, our library."

Flash turned to face us and said, "Make yourselves at home."

I immediately went toward the bookshelves. I've never been a social person; I prefer to keep to myself. Robin, Aqualad and KF all dumped themselves into chairs while Roy stayed standing. I casually ran my tape-wrapped hand over the leather-bound books, glancing at the titles for something interesting.

"Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four ice villains attacking on the same day. We shouldn't be long." Batman announced. He and the other League members went toward a zeta tube to be granted access to the League's orbiting HQ. The same orbiting HQ that I was strictly ordered by Green Arrow not to tell anyone about.

" _Recognized: Batman, zero-two, Aquaman, zero-six, Flash, zero-four, Black Canary, one-three, Green Arrow, zero-eight, Martian Manhunter, zero-seven, Red Tornado, one-six._ "

"That's it?" Roy shouted. I groaned, thinking to myself, _'Here we go...'_

"You promised us a real look inside. Not some glorified backstage pass!"

GA stepped in to try and calm him down, "It's a first step. You've been granted access that few others get."

That only made things worse. Roy jabbed a finger at an observation deck sealed off by a wall of glass. Tourists were snapping photos on the other side.

"Oh really? Who cares what side of the glass we're on?"

"Roy, you need to be patient." Black Canary chimed in. That got my attention. If my mentor gets involved, then something interesting is gonna happen.

"What I need is _respect_." Roy spat back. He turned to face me and the boys, shouting, "They're treating us like kids, worse, like - _sidekicks_. We deserve better than this."

Venom was dripping from every word he said. I bit my tongue to stop myself from snapping at him. The other three teens were silent as well.

"You're kidding, right? You're playing their game? WHY? This was supposed to be THE day. Step one to becoming full fledged members of the League!" he looked over at me and his frown softened slightly, "Come on, Grant. Don't tell me you're not upset with this."

I scoffed, "So what if I am? I'm not the one acting like a child."

My remark made his frown return and his gaze harden. That was when Kid Flash spoke up, "Uh, I thought that step one was a tour of the HQ."

"Except the Hall isn't the League's real HQ." Roy replied smartly. I face palmed, giving GA a hard glare.

"I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching zeta beam teleporter tubes to the real thing. An orbiting satellite called the Watchtower."

Batman gave GA an equally angry stare, while I got a look from BC. I held up my hands in surrender, but I knew it wouldn't help my case. Meanwhile, Arrow was trying to defend himself, but was failing miserably. Soon after, Aquaman stepped in to try and smother Roy's tantrum.

"You're not helping your case here, son. Stand down, or-"

"Or what? You'll send me to my room? And I'm not your son, I'm not even his." Roy spat. He glared at GA, "I thought I was his partner. But not anymore."

Roy ripped the hat he was wearing off, and threw it to the ground at Arrow's feet.

"Guess they're right about four." He said as he stormed out, "You're not ready."

"Superman to Justice League." And the Big Blue Boy Scout saves us from an awkward silence, "There's been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire."

Batman approached the computer and looked up at Superman, "I've had my suspicions about Cadmus. This may present the perfect opportunity to-"

"Zatara to Justice League. The sorcerer Wotan is using the amulet of Atan to blot out the sun. Requesting full League response." My favorite sorcerer, aka my unofficial godfather, appeared on the screen.

"Superman?" Batman looked to the Kryptonian for approval.

"It's a small fire. Local authorities have it under control."

"Then Cadmus can wait. All Leaguers rendezvous at Zatara's coordinates. Batman out." The Dark Knight turned to the four of us, "Stay put."

"What? Come on, Batman. That's not fair." I whined.

"This is a League mission. You're not trained." Flash explained.

"Not trained? Since when?" KF interrupted.

"I meant you're not trained to work as a part of _this_ team."

"There will be other missions. When you're ready." Aquaman continued.

"But for now, stay put." Batman ordered. I looked away from BC and GA, upset with everything that had just happened. When the Leaguers were gone, I pulled my cowl off, exposing my entire face. I walked over to a hanging mirror and stared at my reflection. My long brown hair was in a messy ponytail, strands falling over my ash gray eyes.

"When we're ready?" Kid Flash started to pace and rant, "How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like-, like sidekicks?"

"It's a liability." I said suddenly, gaining the attention of all three boys. I turned away from the mirror and faced them, "We aren't legal adults. It raises controversy to have minors doing what we do."

"My mentor, my king. I thought he trusted me." Aqualad whispered mindlessly.

"Trust? They don't even trust us with the basics! They have a secret HQ in space!" Kid yelled.

"Actually, I knew about the Watchtower." I admitted. KF looked over at me angrily. I held up my hands in surrender.

"Arrow told me and Speedy a while ago. But he told us to keep our mouths shut about it."

"What else have they not told us?" Aqualad asked.

"I have a better question. Why didn't we leave with Speedy?" Robin questioned. Silence fell over us for a bit before Aqualad spoke up again.

"What is Project Cadmus?"

"Don't know. But I can find out." Robin responded with a grin, "Wildcat, mind giving me a hand?"

I scoffed, but joined him at the computer, where he was hacking into the League's systems. I watched the screen and notice some familiarities to another system that I've hacked in the past.

 _Access denied._

"Is this the same system as the Batcave?"

"How do you know what system the Batcave uses?" Robin asked me. I shrugged.

"I may have hacked into the system in a few times before."

 _Access granted._

I located the file on Cadmus and opened it.

"Okay. Project Cadmus is a genetics lab in D.C.," I read, "That's all there is. But if the big, bad bat is suspicious, maybe we should check it out."

Aqualad walked up behind me, looking up at the file.

"Solve their case before they do. It would be poetic justice."

"Hey, they're all about justice." Robin joked. I rolled my eyes.

"But they said stay put." Aqualad reminded us. I looked over at him and smirked.

"They said that for the blotting out the sun mission. Not for Cadmus." Kid Flash sped over to me.

"Wait, beautiful. Are you going to Cadmus? Because if you're going, I'm definitely going. How about you, Rob?"

"I didn't come for a play date. I'm in."

We all looked at Aqualad who looked back at each of us, then gave us a half grin and a nod, "Just like that, we're a team on a mission."

I pulled my cowl back over my face and cracked my knuckles, "Let's do this."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Since I didn't provide a description of Wildcat in the first chapter, here is a generic overview-**

 **Kara Grant aka Wildcat (II)**

 **Granddaughter of Ted Grant, the original Wildcat and a charter member of the Justice Society of America.**

 **Trained by Black Canary (BC also serves as her legal guardian)**

 **Age 16 Brown hair, grey eyes, about 5 foot 6 inches, fair skin, semi-muscular build.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. I only own my OC.**

* * *

 _ **Independence Day Pt. 2**_

 _Washington D.C._

 _July 4, 14:49 EDT_

Clearly, I needed to work on my cardio. By the time we reached Cadmus, I was out of breath and covered in sweat. I stood with Aqualad, studying the fire. Superman was right, the fire wasn't out of control at all. Local firemen were putting out the flames, but there were two scientists caught on the second floor with no way out. Before we had the chance to come up with a logical plan, Kid sped off, only to end up hanging from the second story window ledge.

"It's what's his name... Flash Boy!" one of the firemen shouted. I sniggered while Robin smirked at the name.

"KID FLASH! Why is that so hard?" Kid responded angrily. Aqualad, Robin and I ran up to the building, looking for a way in.

"Hey, KF! How's it hanging?" I called out to the speedster sarcastically.

"Shut up, Whiskers!"

"Wildcat," Aqualad interrupted, "We need a plan. We-"

"You might want to tell that to the Boy Wonder." I replied. Robin was swinging into the window to help KF inside. I looked at the Atlantean sternly, "Get those people down. I'll meet you up there."

He gave me a nod and went to work. Meanwhile, I sped over to the side of the building and used my clawed gloves to scale the wall. The fire inside the building where Kid and Robin were was out, allowing us to investigate. The two boys were looking through filing cabinets and desks when I finally pulled myself in. Aqualad joined us a few seconds later.

"Appreciate the help." he said sarcastically, looking at Robin who was focused on his wrist com.

"You handled it. Besides, we're here to investigate. Poetic justice, remember?"

"That may be the case," I replied from the shadows, "But that doesn't mean we should all go in separate directions. We need to act as a team for this to work."

"Wait, how did you even get up here?" Kid Flash asked me. I stepped into the center of the room, raising my right hand up. It was gloved and taped, but claws were visible at my fingertips.

"Specially made clawed gloves. 10 times stronger than steel, strong enough to support a cable bridge and sharp enough to cut through just about anything." I explained, making all three sets of eyes grow wide, "The original Wildcat preferred to use his bare hands when he fought. I'm not nearly as strong as he was, so these help level the playing field a bit."

"Any other secret weapons we should know about?" Robin asked. I shook my head and started investigating the hallway. As I deliberated which way to go, a hand set itself on my shoulder. I turned to see Aqualad standing behind me.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all."

As we walked, I stayed silent. After a little while, Aqualad spoke up softly.

"You've never spoken about the first Wildcat before."

"It's not really something that I prefer talking about. Black Canary is my mentor and guardian, she has been for the past six years. I've hardly ever seen the original Wildcat since she took me under her wing."

"You do not wish to know him?" Aqualad asked as we turned a corner.

"More like he doesn't want to know me." I replied bluntly, suddenly freezing at the sight ahead. At the end of the hall, an elevator door was closing. Inside it, there was a... well, I'm not sure what was inside. Aqualad saw it too.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I do know that that elevator should be locked down." I answered. I tapped the com in my ear to contact KF and Robin, "Rob, Flash Boy, you should get over here. Now."

* * *

"This is a high-speed express elevator." Robin explained, reading his wrist com, "It doesn't belong in a two-story building."

"Well, neither does what Aqualad and I saw. There's definitely something weird going on here." I said, crossing my arms. Aqualad walked over to the elevator and pried the doors open. Kid and I peered down to see a seemingly endless black abyss.

"Huh. I guess a two-story building does need an express elevator." I said monotone. Robin pulled out his grappling gun and began working his way down into the darkness with the rest of us following closely behind him. After a few minutes, Robin stopped.

"I'm at the end of my rope." he commented, surprised. Below us, the shaft extended further underground. The four of us swung onto the ledge and waited for Robin to hack into the door.

"Bypassing security. There. Go!"

Aqualad forced the doors open, allowing us to get inside. This floor had an eerie sense about it; the halls were empty and dark, creating a sense of unease in the pit of my stomach.

"Welcome to Project Cadmus." Robin said quietly. Before anyone could say anything, Kid lowered his goggles onto his face and sped off in a random direction.

"Kid, wait!" Aqualad whisper shouted, which proved ineffective. The speedster managed to trip over his own feet and slid into an intersecting hall, where he was nearly crushed by giant- creatures.

Unlike the thing Aqualad and I saw earlier, these guys were the size of an elephant, and ugly as hell. On their backs, they were carrying smaller creatures with glowing red horns.

"Okay. There's clearly nothing weird happening here." I muttered sarcastically. Once those creatures were gone, we found ourselves in a room filled with giant cathode tubes, each one holding another type of creature.

"Ok. I'm officially whelmed." Robin said looking around. Whelmed?

"This must be how they hid this massive underground facility from the world! The real Cadmus isn't on the grid. It generates its own power using these... things." Kid deduced.

"It looks like this is what they're bred for." I continued, looking at the electricity flowing through the cathodes. The idea made me realize something that I should have figured out in the first minute. I face palmed.

"Duh! Cadmus! I should've known! Cadmus, first king of Thebes, created an army of men by sowing dragon's teeth into the earth. This Cadmus is doing the same thing."

"Let's find out why." Robin replied, plugging into a nearby computer and hacking into its files, "They call them genomorphs. Whoa! Look at the stats on these things! Superstrength, telepathy, razor claws, these are living weapons!"

"There's your army. The question is, who are they making it for?" Kid asked.

"Wait, Rob. What is that?" I leaned over the Boy Wonder and pointed at a file.

"Uh, Project Kr. Ugh! The file's triple encrypted! I can't-"

"Don't move!" A new voice shouted. We all looked up from the file to see a man in armor running toward us, genomorphs surrounding him, including one that sat on his shoulder. He stopped when he saw who we were.

"Wait, Wildcat? Robin? Aqualad? Kid Flash?"

I nudged Kid, "At least he got your name right."

Aqualad stepped forward, "I know you. Guardian. A hero."

Guardian? Jim? Why was he here?

"I do my best." Guardian replied, hands on his hips. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Then what in God's name are you doing here?" I questioned.

"I think that's my question to ask, Wildcat. I'm the chief of security here. You four are trespassing, but we can call the League, figure this out."

"You think that the League is gonna approve of you breeding weapons?" Kid asked shocked. A look of confusion spread across Guardian's face.

"Weapons? What are you-? What have I-? Ugh, my head." Guardian mumbled as the horns of the genomorph on his shoulder began to glow. A few seconds later, a glare formed on Guardian's face.

"Take 'em down hard! No mercy!"

Whoa! Total 180. This wasn't the Jim Harper I knew. His nephew may be a jerk, but he definitely wasn't. Robin had disappeared (again), leaving Kid, Aqualad and I to fight off the genomorphs. We were able to push our way through the crowd of creatures to reach Robin at the elevator.

"Way to be a team player, Rob!" Kid yelled. Robin didn't look up from his com when he responded.

"Weren't you right behind me?" I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to slap him on the back of the head. The elevator doors opened and we all rushed inside. I leaned up against the wall of the car and tried to catch my breath.

"We're headed down?" Aqualad asked.

"Rob, out is up. Why are we going down?" I asked still panting.

"Sorry, Cat. Project Kr is on sublevel 52." He answered.

"This is out of control." Aqualad exclaimed, pacing in the car, "Perhaps-, perhaps we should contact the League."

Aqualad's timing couldn't have been better. As soon as he finished speaking, the elevator doors opened at sublevel 52. Robin and KF stepped out.

"We are already here." Kid commented. Aqualad seemed hesitant. I placed a hand on his shoulder and he tensed slightly.

"Aqualad," I said softly, "We need to finish this."

He sighed and nodded, stepping out of the elevator with me. The other boys were trying to decide which creepy looking hallway to go down while I got a good look at the landscape. To describe it in one word, gross.

"HOLD!"

We all turned to see another genomorph emerging from the shadows. It was the same one that had been in the elevator earlier. He used telepathy to lift some crates and throw them at us, prompting us to take off down creepy hallway number one. Kid sped ahead, tripping again, and sliding into the closing door of Project Kr. At the rate it was closing, Aqualad, Robin and I wouldn't be able to make it inside. Luckily, Kid wedged a canister in the door, giving us enough time to get inside before Guardian and the genomorphs could reach us. Aqualad kicked the canister out of the door, shutting Guardian out.

Robin called out, "I disabled the door. We're safe."

"No, we're trapped." I snapped, "We're so screwed! If we manage to make it out of here, the League is gonna lose it!"

Aqualad approached me, placing both hands on my shoulders and looking me directly in the eye, "Wildcat, please keep calm. We will get out of here."

"Uh, guys," Kid interrupted, "I hate to interrupt- whatever this is, but, you might want to see this."

He was standing in front of a giant tube. Inside it, a teenager, at least 16, wearing a white bodysuit with a red 'S' shield on his chest. He looked like a teen version of Superman. The symbol on the face of the tube only confirmed my suspicions.

"Big K, little r. The atomic symbol for Krypton! Clone?" Kid exclaimed.

"Robin, hack." Aqualad ordered.

"Right, right. Weapon designation Superboy, a clone force grown in...16 weeks?! From DNA acquired from Superman."

" _Stolen_ from Superman." Aqualad corrected.

"No way the big guy knows about this." Kid said, looking over at us. Robin continued to read Superboy's file.

"Solar suit allows him to absorb yellow sun radiation 24/7."

"And these creatures?" Aqualad asked pointing at the three creatures sitting above Superboy.

"Genomorph gnomes, telepathic, force-feeding him an education."

"And we can only guess what else." I said studying the genomorphs, "Cadmus is turning this kid into a slave."

"Now we contact the League." Aqualad instructed. I tapped my com, but a sad sounding beep told me that I had no signal.

"I've got no signal." I called out. The boys had the same result. "Looks like we're in too deep. Literally and figuratively."

I looked back at Superboy. "He shouldn't be held like this."

"I agree." Aqualad said, "Set him free. Do it."

Robin typed away at the console in front of the tube, releasing Superboy from the tube. He didn't move at first, but soon clenched his fists, opened his eyes and lunged at Aqualad. Kid and Robin tried to pull Superboy off of him but to no avail.

"Hang on, Supey!"

"We're on your side!"

The clone threw KF and Robin off, allowing Aqualad to slip away. Superboy turned to face me, prompting me to get into a fighting stance. He swung at me, but I managed to block it and hit him in the jaw. It didn't seem to faze him, because two seconds later, he threw me into the wall, causing a resounding crack to echo in my ears. Another punch, this one to my jaw, caused another crack. My vision blurred and the scent of blood filled my nostrils. As Aqualad ran to my aid, I finally fell into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I hold no ownership of Young Justice.**

* * *

 _ **Fireworks**_

 _Washington D.C._

 _July 5, 00:01 EDT_

I woke up in a tube next to Aqualad. Superboy was standing in front of us, staring silently. Aqualad stirred, glancing over at me groggily. Concern crossed his face when he looked at me.

"Wildcat. You're covered in blood." I looked up at the glass door and saw a bloody reflection. I tried to swallow but the taste of blood in my mouth made gag.

"I think Superboy may've broken my jaw. I'm pretty sure he also broke a few of my ribs." I slurred, unable to speak clearly due to the pain in my jaw.

"What? What do you want?" Kid Flash shouted, finally awake. He was glaring at Superboy, who hadn't moved. "Quit staring, you're freaking me out!"

"Uh, Kid. Might not want to tick off the guy who can fry us with a look." Robin interrupted, "Whoa, Wildcat, you're covered in-"

"I know. Broken jaw." I said angrily, cutting him off. Aqualad tore his gaze away from me and focused on Superboy.

"We only sought to help you."

"Yeah, we help you and you turn on us," Kid yelled, "How's that for grat-"

"Kid, please, be quiet now," Aqualad interrupted, "I believe our new friend was not in full control of his actions."

"Wh-what if I, what if I wasn't?" Superboy asked softly.

"You can talk?" I questioned the clone. He looked up at me.

"Yes, I can."

"You were taught by the genomorphs telepathically, right?"

"They taught me much. I can read, write. I know the names of things."

"But have you seen them?" Robin asked, "Have they ever actually let you see the sky or the sun?"

"Images are implanted in my mind, but no. I have not seen them." Superboy replied.

"Do you know what you are? Who you are?" Aqualad asked.

Superboy stiffened and responded, "I am the Superboy, a genomorph, a clone made from the DNA of the Superman. To replace him should he perish, to destroy him should he turn from the Light."

Shock appeared on all of our faces. He was designed to destroy Superman? Damn.

"To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration. But like Superman, you deserve a life of your own. Beyond your solar suit, beyond your pod. Beyond Cadmus." Aqualad said calmly.

"I live because of Cadmus! It is my home!" Superboy shouted.

"Dude, your home is a test tube. We can show you the sun."

"Actually, Rob, it's after midnight." Kid Flash corrected, "But we can show you the moon."

"We can show you, introduce you, to Superman." I offered. Superboy's eyes widened in surprise. As he was about to reply, three figures came from the shadows.

"No, they can't. They'll be otherwise occupied." A middle-aged man in a lab coat and glasses said turning to a younger scientist next to him, "Activate cloning process."

"Pass. Batcave's crowded enough." Robin called out. I rolled my eyes.

"And get the weapon back in its pod!" The man yelled to Guardian. Superboy looked up at Aqualad.

"Help us."

A genomorph leapt onto Superboy's shoulder and its horns started to glow. The scientist stepped in front of him.

"Don't start thinking now. See, you're not a real boy, you're a weapon. And you belong to me! Well, to Cadmus. Same thing! Now get back to your pod!"

When he was done speaking, Superboy turned on his heel and walked away. As soon as he was gone, robotic electrical probes surrounded us and injected themselves into various points on our bodies, sending electrical currents through us. That, combined with the damage Superboy had already done, made my day ten thousand times worse. I tried to scream but nothing came out. After a while, I felt myself go limp and blackness consumed me a second time.

* * *

I woke again, this time on the ground level floor of Cadmus. Next to me, Robin was studying the structure of the atrium, while KF, Aqualad and Superboy were fighting a giant monster.

"Wh- how?" I stammered. Robin looked over at me and grinned.

"Long story. I'll tell you later. Right now, I need you to help me plant some charges. Can you stand?"

"Think so."

He helped me up and showed me where to plant charges. I struggled to stay standing, but I was able to cover two stone columns while Robin covered two on the other side of the room. Aqualad and Superboy destroyed the remaining columns as Kid Flash lured the monster over to a water covered 'X' drawn on the floor. Using the tattoos on his arms, Aqualad passed an electrical charge through the water, electrocuting the monster.

"Wildcat! Get down!" Kid shouted. Robin activated the charges as we all regrouped. I slowly looked up to see a slab of concrete descending on us. As I closed my eyes, I felt someone wrap their arms around me and pull me towards them. Then, for the third time, I saw nothing but darkness.

* * *

The sound of moving rubble was what caused me to open my eyes. Superboy had lifted the slab of concrete off of us and threw it away. Aqualad had been the one that had covered me, his arms still wrapped around my shoulders and waist. Gently, he released me, not taking his eyes off of mine. I tried to stand, but I was in too much pain to do so. Instead, I pulled my cowl off and leaned against a nearby piece of stone, clutching my side.

"We- we did it." Aqualad said breathily.

"Was there- ever any doubt?" Robin asked nearby, high fiving Kid Flash and instantly regretting it after pain shot through their shoulders. Superboy was staring up at the sky.

"See?" Kid asked him, pointing to the moon, "The moon."

In the distance, a figure appeared in front of the moon, soon turning into Superman himself. Kid Flash spoke with surprise.

"Oh, and Superman. Do we keep our promises our what?"

Superman wasn't alone though. The entire Justice League soon surrounded us. That included each of our mentors, all of them wore upset looks. Superboy approached Superman, lifting the torn part of his solar suit up to reveal the 'S' shield.

"Is that what I think it is?" Batman asked.

"I wouldn't call him an it if I were you." KF stage whispered.

"I'm Superman's clone." Superboy announced. The entire League had a look of shock on their faces, except, of course, Batman.

"Start talking."

* * *

"So what exactly happened while I was out?" I asked Robin as the League discussed Superboy and Cadmus.

"Superboy came back and set us free. But the electricity, combined with your blood loss, made you black out. Aqualad carried you the entire time. We made it to sublevel 1 where the scientist drank something called Project Blockbuster. It turned him into that thing over there." He pointed at the creature that was now in League custody, "KF, Aqualad and Superboy kept him busy while I waited for you to wake up and help us take down the building. It was the only way to stop him."

I nodded slowly, lingering on the thought that Aqualad carried me for at least half an hour. I'm not super heavy, but I weigh a solid 135 pounds. Superman walked over to the five of us, taking my thoughts away from the Atlantean.

"Well, uh we'll figure something out for you. The League will, I mean. In the meantime, I- better make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away." Superman stammered before flying away. That was when Batman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Aquaman and Flash all came over to us.

"Cadmus will be investigated. All 52 levels. But let's make one thing clear-" Batman started.

"You should've called." Flash interrupted.

"End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again." Batman scolded. Aqualad helped me stand up, carefully wrapping his arm around my waist, allowing me to lean on him for support.

"I am sorry, but we will."

"Aqualad, stand down." Aquaman ordered his protégé.

"Apologies, my king, but no." Both Aquaman and I looked at him with surprise.

"We did good work here tonight, the work you trained us to do. Together, on our own, we forged something powerful, important."

"If this is about your treatment at the Hall, the four of you-" Black Canary began.

"The _five_ of us. And it's not." I snapped, the taste of blood still in my mouth.

"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us. Or why teach us at all?" Robin asked.

"Why let them tell us what to do." Superboy growled, "It's simple. Get on board or get out of the way."

* * *

"The League will make a decision within the next 48 hours. Until then, Superboy will be staying in Keystone City with Kid Flash. All of you, get some rest." Batman instructed. Robin quickly joined him and the dynamic duo left for Gotham.

"Thank you." I said quietly as Aqualad and I waited for our mentors. He glanced over at me.

"For what?"

"Everything. Robin told me that you carried me out of Cadmus, not to mention you covered me when the building collapsed."

"We could not leave you behind." He replied. I gave him a small smile before limping over to GA and BC, each of them wrapping their arms around my shoulders and bringing me to the nearest zeta tube.

"I'm sorry I didn't call, Dinah. We couldn't get a signal." I apologized.

"Don't be sorry, Kara. Considering the shape you're in, I'd say you've learned your lesson." Dinah said, clearly upset with me.

"What's the damage, Kara?" Oliver asked.

"Broken jaw. A few cracked ribs. I don't know about anything else." I answered, my gaze falling to the ground as we entered the zeta tube.

 _"Recognized: Green Arrow, zero-eight, Wildcat, B zero-one, Black Canary, one-three."_

* * *

Oliver and Dinah wouldn't let me go to a hospital as Wildcat. They didn't want to risk my identity. Luckily, they were able to patch me up enough to change into civvies. As Kara Grant, I was admitted to Royal Memorial, where I discovered that I had 3 broken ribs, a fractured mandible, and a minor concussion.

The next 48 hours were absolute hell. I was stuck in a hospital room with nothing to do, no one to really talk to, and no news on the League's decision. When I finally was released, Dinah refused to tell me anything about the League. Instead, she dragged me to the nearest zeta tube and told me to be patient.

 _"Recognized: Wildcat, B zero-one, Black Canary, one-three."_

"Where are you taking me, Dinah?" I asked anxiously. She smiled at me and nodded toward something in front of us. We were standing in a gigantic cave, filled with Justice League computers and zeta tubes. In front of us, Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy and Aqualad, in civilian clothes, all stood in a line with Batman, Aquaman, Flash and Green Arrow standing across from them. The Green Lanterns were moving things around above us as I fell into line next to Robin.

"Good. You're all here." Batman said, acknowledging my arrival with a nod, which I returned. "This cave is the original secret sanctum of the Justice League. We're calling it into service again, since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on League terms. Red Tornado has volunteered to live here and be your supervisor, Black Canary is in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions."

"Real missions?" The Boy Wonder asked.

"Yes, but covert." His mentor replied. Flash sped over to us.

"We'll still take care of the obvious stuff. There's a reason we wear these big targets on our chests."

"But Cadmus proves that the bad guys are getting smarter," Aquaman continued, "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."

"The six of you will be that team." GA finished.

"Six?" I asked with a confused look. The mentors gazed at something behind us, so we all turned to see Martian Manhunter and someone new. A Martian, as indicated by her green skin tone, but much younger than Manhunter.

"This is the Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian." Batman explained. I smiled at her and she smiled back shyly.

"Hi."

"Likin' this gig more every minute." KF stage whispered to Robin, "Uh, welcome, I'm Kid Flash, that's Robin, Wildcat, Aqualad, it's cool if you forget their names."

"I'm honored to be included," she replied quietly. As we huddled around her, I noticed Superboy standing off to the side.

"Hey, Superboy," I called out. He looked over at me. "Come meet Miss M."

He approached us silently. When he joined us, Miss M suddenly changed her shirt from white to black, matching the clone's.

"I like your t-shirt."

And for the first time, I saw Superboy genuinely smile. A half-smirk formed on my face as I looked at the newly-formed team.

Next to me, Aqualad proudly said, "Today is the day."

"I couldn't agree more."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry this has taken me so long! I hope it lives up to your expectations.**

 **Also, in response to a review: I understand your concern with ages. But remember that Ted Grant, the original Wildcat, trained Black Canary. The way I see it, she was training with Ted when Kara began her own training with him. That doesn't necessarily mean that Kara was living with BC at the time. She served as a role model until she became her mentor officially. During season 1, Ted is believed to be 92, and as stated in chapter one, Kara started living and training with Dinah when Ted turned 89 in 2007, due to Ted's retirement. However, due to a falling out between Ted and Kara that will be explained later on, she has considered Dinah as her guardian for the entirety of her training. As far as the designations go, in the show Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash were ordered based on how long they had been training as protégés. Technically, if Kara began training as Ted Grant's student when she was 10, she would have the most experience as a protégé/student.**

 **Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Young Justice.**

* * *

 _ **Welcome To Happy Harbor**_

 _Star City_

 _July 17, 23:23 PDT_

Kid, Robin and Aqualad had tried to convince Roy to join the Team, but to no avail. Before they went home, they did manage to track me down and badger me into talking to him. I found him out on patrol near the docks.

"Heard you had some help taking down Brick tonight." I said as I joined him on top of a shipping crate. He didn't reply.

"Look, Roy, I know you're still upset, but you need to consider that this Team might be good for you." I placed a hand on his shoulder, "We would love to have you working with us."

"Sorry, Whiskers," he grunted, "But like I told the others, I don't want to be a part of something that's meant to keep me in my place. The only way the League will ever take you seriously as a hero is if you prove it. Your little Team is supposed to keep you from doing that."

"How do you know that for certain, Roy?" I countered. A grimace formed on his face, telling me that I had stumped him.

"Tell you what, Whiskers. Go on one of Batman's errands first, then we'll discuss this."

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _July 18, 11:10 EDT_

 _"Recognized: Wildcat, B zero-one."_

I emerged from the zeta tube dressed in my civvies. A black long sleeve shirt (sleeves rolled up), an unbuttoned denim shirt (sleeves also rolled up), blue jeans, combat boots and a smart watch on my right wrist (yes, I'm left-handed). My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, revealing my ash gray eyes.

"I trust that you spoke to Speedy last night?" Aqualad asked as I joined him at the holo-computer. I nodded.

"I did. But I'm afraid he's refused to join us."

"I expected as much."

"So did I. He's always felt the need to prove himself. His solo act is the only way he believes he can prove his worth to the League." I explained. Aqualad nodded in understanding. We were the two people that were closest to Roy, having known him the longest.

"How has your stay in the Cave been?" I asked, trying to pass the time before Kid and Robin arrived.

"Uneventful. Superboy has kept to himself, while Miss Martian has been moving in." Speaking of them, they joined us at the holo-computer about thirty seconds later. I gave them a quick nod as the zeta tube called out:

 _"Recognized: Robin, B zero-two, Kid Flash, B zero-four."_

"Did you ask him?"

"What did he say?"

The boys bolted toward us, also in civvies, with excitement written all over their faces. The League's GPS system indicated that Red Tornado was almost at the Cave.

"Relax, guys. He's almost here." I laughed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kid asked before speeding off to the hidden entrance. We all took off running, unable to keep up. The entrance to the Cave descended, creating a grass covered ramp that led to the exterior of Mount Justice. Above us, a red cyclone became visible, drawing nearer until it reached the ground, dissipating and revealing Red Tornado.

"Red Tornado!" Kid shouted happily.

"Greetings." The robot replied in his monotone voice, "Is there a reason you intercept me outside the Cave?"

"We were hoping you had a mission for us." I said.

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility."

"But it's been over a week and-" Robin started to complain, but Red Tornado raised his hand to cut him off.

"You will be tested soon enough. For the time being, simply enjoy each other's company."

"This team is not a social club." Aqualad growled.

"No, but I am told that social interaction is an important team-building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourselves with the Cave." With that, the Leaguer brushed past us and entered the Cave.

"Keep busy. Does he think we're falling for this?" Kid asked angrily.

"Oh, I'll find out!" Miss Martian replied excitedly.

 _"Recognized: Red Tornado, one-six."_

"I'm sorry. I forgot he's a machine, inorganic. I cannot read his mind," she sighed. Kid placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Nice try, though. So, uh, you know what I'm thinkin' right now?"

I roughly punched the redhead in the arm, "We all know what you're thinkin'."

"And now we tour the clubhouse." Aqualad said resigned.

"Well, Superboy and I live here. We can play tour guide." Miss M offered. We all nodded.

"Lead the way." I said. Miss Martian's tour led us through the entire mountain, which KF explained had been hollowed out by Green Lantern and Superman when the League first started.

"So why abandon it for the Hall of Justice?" Superboy asked. Well...

"The Cave's location was compromised a while back, forcing the League to relocate." I replied, trying to avoid mentioning the Watchtower.

"So they traded it in for a tourist trap? Yeah, that makes sense." Superboy grumbled.

"If villains know of the Cave, then we must be on constant alert." Miss M exclaimed. Her reaction, however, wasn't necessary.

"Actually, Miss M, that's not necessary. We're basically hiding in plain sight. This is the last place they would care to look." I told her. She relaxed when I finished.

"Ah, that makes sense."

"I smell smoke." Superboy suddenly said. Smoke? Shit. We haven't even been here two weeks and we're already burning the place down.

"My cookies!" Miss M gasped. She instantly flew off toward the kitchen. We ran after her and saw her levitate a tray of burnt cookies onto the counter. "I was trying out Grammy Jones' recipe from episode 17 of-, heh, never mind."

I narrowed my eyes at her, but didn't question her.

"I bet they'd have tasted great. He doesn't seem to mind." Robin said, jabbing his thumb at KF who was stuffing his mouth. We all stared at him, making him stop eating.

"I have a serious metabolism," he confessed, mouth full.

"I'll make more?"

"It was sweet of you to make any." Aqualad said. The Martian smiled.

"Thanks, Aqualad."

"We're off duty. Call me Kaldur'ahm. Actually, my friends call me Kaldur."

"I'm Wally," the hungry speedster flirted, "See, I already trust you with my secret I.D., unlike Mr. Dark Glasses over here. Batman's forbidden Boy Wonder from telling anyone his real name."

"Mine's no secret, it's M'gann M'orzz. But you can call me Megan. It's an Earth name, and I'm on Earth now."

After a brief moment of hesitation, everyone looked at me, silently asking for my name.

"Don't tell me BC is making you keep your I.D. a secret too, gorgeous." Wally joked. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Kara. My name is Kara." I said. Across from me, I could see a small smile forming on Kaldur's face.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Superboy suddenly shouted. Next thing I know, a dull throbbing pain formed in my temples.

 _"What's wrong? I don't understand. Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically."_

"M'gann. Stop." Kaldur commanded aloud, "Things are different on Earth. Here, your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy."

"Besides, Cadmus' creepy, little, psychic genomes left a bad taste in his brain." Wally stage whispered.

"I-, I didn't mean-" M'gann stammered.

"Just. Stay. Out." Superboy growled before storming off to the couch. A pregnant pause fell over us for a moment, which was eventually broken by M'gann.

"Hello, Megan! I know what we can do!" She flew down the hall toward the grotto, and once again, we followed. She turned back quickly to get Superboy who unwillingly joined us a minute later. In front of us, a red pod like thing was sitting on a landing pad.

"It's my Martian bioship!" M'gann explained.

"Cute. Not aerodynamic, but cute." Wally commented.

"It's at rest, silly. I'll wake it." A flick of M'gann's wrist caused the bioship to take its true form. The red and black ship did a full 180, opening a door for us to enter. We stepped inside and took seats that formed when we approached the key pads that lined the front of the bioship. M'gann took the helm.

"Red Tornado, please open the bay doors," she called out. Ahead of us, the doors opened and M'gann sent us flying out. We continued soaring over Happy Harbor for a few minutes before two separate conversations broke out. Aqualad was whispering something to Superboy, while Robin and Kid spoke to M'gann. I sat in silence, caught in my own thoughts.

Robin broke my train of thought when he called out to M'gann, "Hey! How about showing us a little Martian shape-shifting?"

The Martian smiled and stood up from her seat. Before our very eyes, M'gann changed into a feminine version of first Robin, then Kid Flash. The speedster swooned.

"Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?" he asked.

"It's very wrong, Wally. You may need some professional help." I answered with a grin. Wally glared at me while Robin laughed. Even Superboy cracked a small grin at my remark.

"Impressive," Rob commented, slowly clapping his hands, "but you know you're not exactly gonna fool anyone with those."

M'gann changed back to herself and replied, "Mimicking boys is a lot harder. But I can do this perfectly."

I watched as she shifted into a mirror image of myself, down to the very last detail. My eyes widened and as I peered around at everyone else, I could see they had a similar reaction.

"What about your clothes?" I asked, curious. The Martian returned to her original form and grabbed onto her cardigan.

"They're organic, like the ship. They respond to my mental commands," she explained.

"As long as they're the only ones." Superboy growled. Another brief yet heavy silence fell over us before Wally piped up.

"Can you do that ghosting through walls thing that Manhunter does?"

"Density shifting? No, it's a very advanced technique."

"Get this," I said with a smirk, "Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall. But when he tries it: bloody nose."

"Hey!" Wally yelled.

M'gann smiled, "Here's something I can do. Camouflage mode."

Outside, the ship became transparent aside from a reflective shimmer from the angle of natural light. It made us nearly invisible to the naked eye.

"Red Tornado to Miss Martian." RT's voice suddenly came up on the ship's comm, "An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor Power Plant. I suggest you investigate covertly. I'm sending you coordinates."

"Received. Adjusting course." Miss M replied sternly. I whipped around in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest with scoff.

"Another attempt by Tornado to keep us busy."

"Perhaps..." Kaldur answered quietly.

"Well, a simple fire led the four of you to Superboy. We should find out what caused the alert." M'gann exclaimed. I nodded begrudgingly as we approached the power plant.

"I think I know the cause." Superboy suddenly said, staring out the window. I followed his gaze to see what looked like an F2 tornado. As plant workers ran from the site, we jumped out of the Bioship.

"Robin," Kaldur yelled over the winds, "are tornadoes common to New England? Robin?!"

The Atlantean and I looked around for the Boy Wonder but couldn't find him anywhere. I did, however, hear a faint cackle in the direction of the main building of the power plant. Rob must have done his annoying ninja thing again. I took off running toward the plant with everyone else close behind me. Once inside, we found Rob fighting a large red and black robot, who I assumed to be the cause of the emergency alert. As our opponent flung Robin into a wall, Superboy jumped in and started to charge the robot.

"Who's your new friend?" he asked.

"Didn't catch his name, but he plays pretty rough." Rob replied.

The machine rose up higher into the air before he began to speak.

"My apologies. You may address me as Mr. Twister."

Now that we had a name for our problem, KF, M'gann, Kaldur and I all charged him at once. But, like he had done with Robin and Superboy, Mr. Twister tossed away like pieces of trash.

"I was prepared to be challenged by a superhero. I was not, however, expecting children."

"We aren't children, you bucket of bolts!" I shouted as I charged again, and again being thrown aside.

"Objectively, you are. Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here quite disturbing."

"Well, we hate to see you disturbed." Robin replied sarcastically, "Let's see if you're more turbed once we kick your can!"

Twister slammed the two of us into a wall for a third time.

"Indeed. That was quite turbing." The villain said monotonously, before turning to leave, "Thank you."

This guy was really starting to get on my nerves now. I reached into my right breast pocket on my denim button-up to pull out my clawed gloves. I slipped them on as I began to make my way outside, my eyes never leaving Twister as he confronted Wally. Luckily, M'gann came to his aid when Twister attempted to blast him into the wall of the plant. I ran out to join the others as they gathered around Wally.

"I would have thought you had all learned your limitations by now," the android said smugly.

"What do you want!?" Kaldur shouted over the gusts of wind that Twister sent our way.

"Isn't it obvious?" Twister replied, "I'm waiting for a real hero."

I suddenly came up with an idea, "M'gann! Read his mind! Find out what he's thinking!"

The Martian looked over at me, "I thought I wasn't supposed to do that!"

"It's okay with the bad guys!" Robin answered for me. M'gann nodded and focused her gaze on Twister as her eyes began to glow green.

"Nothing. I'm getting nothing," she muttered before saying, "Hello, Megan! Mr. Twister is Red Tornado in disguise! He's inorganic, an android. And how many androids do you know that can generate tornadoes?"

Realization hit the rest of us simultaneously, but Kaldur was the first to speak.

"Red Tornado sent us here."

"After saying we'd be tested soon enough, _this_ is his test. Something to keep us busy."

Anger swelled inside me as I realized that Roy was right.

"Speedy called it. We're a joke." I growled.

"This game. So over."

Wally, Kaldur, Robin and I all stepped closer to the android.

"We know who you are and what you want." The Boy Wonder started.

"So let's end this." Kaldur finished.

"Consider it ended." Twister replied.

The android raised his arms and created a large storm above his head.

"Impressive. But we aren't giving into your little game." I shouted. As soon as I had finished speaking, twin bolts of lightning cracked above us. And after knowing Tornado for years, I knew for a fact that he couldn't do that. This wasn't Red Tornado.

"Uh," Wally yelled, obviously confused, "Can Red Tornado do that?"

"You think _I'm_ Tornado? Ironic." Twister replied sarcastically as he began to move toward us. Superboy leapt up in an attempt to knock the android off his high horse, but a large gust of wind sent both him and the rest of us onto the ground. As Twister was about to strike again, M'gann raised her hand and separated us from him using the bioship in camouflage mode.

"Fine, then. I won't deny you children have power. But playing hide-and-seek with you would not help me achieve my objectives. So stay concealed. If you confront me again, I will show _no_ mercy." With that, the android turned and flew away.

Once he was gone, M'gann moved the bioship away. Wally sat up and groaned.

"What happened?"

"I placed the bioship between us..." M'gann said weakly. Superboy punched the ground twice.

"And that's supposed to make it right," he growled, "You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado!"

I held up a hand to silence him.

"Relax, she didn't do it on purpose."

"It was a rookie mistake," Robin agreed, "We shouldn't have listened."

"You _are_ pretty inexperienced." Wally sighed.

"Hit the showers. We'll take it from here." The speedster instructed.

"Stay out of our way." Superboy added. I wasn't completely on board with leaving M'gann behind, but Wally was right. Her inexperience put her at a disadvantage. So, with reluctance, I turned away and took off after Robin.

* * *

We found Twister tearing up the pier of Happy Harbor. Clearly, he wanted an audience because he was creating chaos throughout the residential areas that lined the water.

"Certainly _this_ will get the required attention!" he declared. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw KF speed towards him.

"You've got ours! Full and undivided!"

Twister batted Wally away.

"Immaterial and insufficient! You are a distraction I can no longer tolerate!"

I smirked as I moved into the clearing, ready to fight.

"Funny! I was about to say the same thing to you, you bucket of bolts!"

 _"Listen to me; all of you."_ M'gann's voice rang through my head.

"What did we tell you?!" Superboy growled.

 _"I know! And I know I messed up. But now I'm very clear on what we need to do. Please. Trust me."_

There was a heavy moment of silence. I was the first one to reply.

 _"Alright. I'm with you, M'gann. But if this plan of yours doesn't work..."_

 _"It will. I promise."_

* * *

We never should have doubted M'gann. Her plan worked perfectly, aside from the brief moment when thought she had killed a guy. When we returned to the Cave, Aqualad and I filled Red Tornado in on what had happened.

"Clearly it was sent here to sabotage or destroy you, Red." I finished.

The Leaguer nodded in agreement, "Agreed."

"Is that why you wouldn't help us?" M'gann asked.

"No. I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you. Nor should you solve mine for me."

"But if you're in danger-"

"Consider this matter closed." Red cut the Martian off and began to walk away.

"Batman, Black Canary, Aquaman and Flash would've jumped right in to fix things." Wally muttered.

"Guess if we're gonna have a babysitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need." Robin replied.

I nudged him hard in the ribs.

"A little harsh, don't you think?"

"And inaccurate." Tornado called out, "I have a heart; carbon-steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing."

The Boy Wonder rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Heh. Right, sorry. I'll strive to be more accurate."

" _And_ more respectful." Kaldur added.

The four of us began to walk over to the zeta tubes together.

"Speedy was _so_ wrong." Wally suddenly said.

"This team thing,"

"Might just work out."

I entered the nearest zeta tube to return to Star City, the thought of our first victory as a team making me smile the whole time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to everyone who has been reading! I know my updates are slow but I hope that the quality of the chapters makes up for that! Don't forget to fav, follow and review!**

 **To respond to a guest review: First and foremost, in this story, Robin is still considered to be the first official 'sidekick'. He began working with Batman when he was nine, which would put him a year ahead of Kara (Dick Grayson is considered by many to be the pioneer of the superhero-sidekick thing with his appearance as Robin in the original Batman comics back in the 30s and 40s). However, Kara has worked with Leaguers for a total of six years, due to her grandfather's connection to members of the League that include, but are not limited to Black Canary, Batman and Zatara. This would put Kara at the forefront of the training of the protégés, granting her the designation B01. Also sorry about the quotes, but I was actually in a rush to finish working on Chapter 4 because it had taken me so long. You'll see more originality from Kara in upcoming chapters.**

 **And for everyone wanting a pairing, don't worry, there's one coming...**

 **Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing pertaining to Young Justice, aside from my OC.**

* * *

 ** _Drop-Zone_**

 _Mount Justice_

 _July 22, 19:03 EDT_

Batman had gathered us in front of the computers in the Cave to brief us on our first mission. I was excited, but there was a lingering sense of concern that settled in the back of my mind. We had yet to choose a leader, and if we didn't make a decision soon, I had a feeling a certain Boy Wonder would start making decisions for us.

"Isla Santa Prisca." Batman began to brief us with a geographic image of Santa Prisca appearing behind him, "This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neo-steroid. A strength enhancing drug sold under the street name 'Venom'. Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. That's where this team comes in."

Oddly enough, GA and Roy (before his little meltdown) had taken down a Venom operation in Star City a few months back. Dinah and I had acted as consultants during their raid. I knew this drug. A small grin tugged at the corner of my mouth as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"This is a _covert_ mission only." Batman continued, "Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will."

Robin stepped forward and asked the question I was dreading.

"So who's in charge?"

Batman and Red Tornado exchanged a glance.

"Work that out between you. Now, get ready. You leave in one hour."

I changed into my standard black body suit before clapping on the personalized body armor that Dinah insisted I have. After that, I simply waited in the hangar for the rest of the team to arrive, taping my gloved hands slowly to pass the time, before being joined by M'gann and Superboy.

"What are you doing in here by yourself, Kara?" M'gann asked. My cowl hung around my neck so I was able to look her directly in the eye when I replied.

"Never been the social type, M'gann. I usually like to have some time to mentally prepare myself for missions and patrols. It's something I picked up from my grandfather."

"Your grandfather?" Superboy asked. I nodded with malice at the thought of the one and only Ted Grant.

"We had a bit of a falling out a few years ago. We don't talk much anymore. But he taught me the basics; he was a world-class fighter back in the day. After he retired from the ring, he started teaching. I started when I was ten." I explained. I didn't want to go into too much detail. Especially since I could see Kid, Robin and Aqualad all approaching us.

"Started what when you were ten, Cat?" Robin called. I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation. Now wasn't the best time to share my life story.

"My training," I replied stiffly,"I don't want to get into details. Let's just get going."

* * *

It took a couple of hours to reach Santa Prisca. Everyone in the bioship was silent as we reached the island, the silence only being broken when M'gann announced our approach on the first drop-zone.

"Drop-zone A in 30."

The first few steps in our mission had been preplanned for us by Batman. The first drop-zone was about a mile from the shores of Santa Prisca. Aqualad would swim onto shore and patch through the heat and motion sensors, allowing the bioship to fly over in camouflage mode without any worry of detection. The rest of us would land at drop-zone B and meet Aqualad at the designated rendezvous point. After that, Batman simply said to observe and report, which, considering we were with Robin and Kid Flash, could have meant a multitude of different outcomes.

"Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in." Aqualad whispered over the comm. A few minutes later, we arrived at the second drop-zone.

Wally tapped the lightning bolt on his chest to activate his new stealth tech. Yellow and red transformed into gray and black. M'gann traded her white shirt and blue skirt for a black body suit, while I pulled my cowl over my head.

"Superboy, are you sure you don't want to use the new stealth tech?" I asked the Kryptonian, who was wearing his usual outfit. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"No capes, no tights. No offense."

"It totally works for you." M'gann said airily. When she realized that people were staring, she tried to recover. "In that you can totally do good work in those clothes."

I did my best to stifle my laughter; obviously, she was crushing on Superboy. I can't say I blame her. Superboy is a good-looking guy; must be a Kryptonian thing...

Anyway, Kid, Robin and I all watched as M'gann created cables for us before clipping them onto our belts. The three of us landed silently on the ground below us. M'gann levitated just above us while Superboy crashed behind us. The clone stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands with a smug grin.

"Knew I didn't need a line."

"I hate to say it," I replied with a scowl, "but creating a small seismic event isn't exactly my idea of being covert."

"Aqualad, drop B is go." M'gann quietly informed over the comm.

"Head for the factory," the Atlantean replied, "I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP."

"Roger that."

* * *

We continued on toward the factory. When we reached a forked area in the jungle, the five of us hesitated to regroup.

I drew my cowl over my face and tapped my wrist comm to activate the night-vision function in my mask. While my eyes adjusted, Superboy stiffened next to me.

"Did you hear that?"

"You're the only one with super hearing, Superboy. We didn't hear anything." I replied.

"You do have great ears." M'gann swooned. I bit my tongue to keep myself from laughing. Wally obviously took no notice of the Martian's infatuation.

"Ok, Rob. Now what?" The speedster asked the empty space where the 13-year old once stood, "Man, I hate it when he does that!"

Aqualad rang in over the comm, "Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared. See if you're being tracked."

Both boys did as asked. KF's goggles hid his expression, but Superboy's eyes narrowed when he saw something moving through the jungle.

"Got a squad of armed bozos incoming." Wally announced quietly.

"Two squads, actually." Superboy replied, "But they'll meet each other before they reach us."

The sound of rapid gunfire tore through the jungle a moment later, telling us that the two squads were in the middle of a turf war.

"Guess we don't need any super hearing now." Wally declared. I pondered the situation silently. If we tried to cut through the firefight, we would end up either dead or captured. We would have to veer away and go wide around the fight to avoid being detected. I turned to the others.

"We need to go wide and avoid this fight. If we cut it too close, we could botch the entire mission before it's even begun."

"Yeah, sure thing, Whiskers, just as soon as I find Rob." Kid replied as he stepped forward toward the gunfire. Before I could stop him, the speedster took off toward the gunmen only to trip over his own feet and land in the no man's land between the two squads.

"If those goons don't kill that moron, I might." I growled, "Let's go get him."

The three of us leapt out and went to work taking out the gunmen. Seconds later, we were joined by none other than the Boy Wonder, who had apparently been hiding in the surrounding trees. He took out two men and was clearly surprised when he saw that we hadn't followed his lead.

"What's the matter with you guys? Why didn't you follow my lead and vanish into the jungle?"

"That's what you were doing?" Kid yelled as he took out a goon that was trying to shoot him down, "Way to fill us in. We aren't all mind readers, you know."

"You guys told me I could only read the bad guys' minds." M'gann pointed out. I smirked as I took down the last of the gunmen, while Rob tossed me a rope to tie them up to a few trees. The ones that were decked in blood red cloaks and black masks seemed familiar, though I couldn't recall when I had seen them. Robin was able to clear away my confusion as we were joined by Aqualad.

"Those uniforms belong to the Cult of the Kobra."

"Then this runs deeper than we thought." I replied, concern swelling in the pit of my stomach. "Batman obviously didn't know that an extremist group had taken over the Venom operation here on Santa Prisca. If he did, he would have told us."

"Agreed." Rob nodded in my direction, "And since there's clearly no love loss between the cultists and these goons, I'm betting Kobra came in and kicked them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off."

"We get it. Kobra wanted super-cultists." Kid groaned, "Mystery solved. Radio Bats and we'll be home in time-"

"These cultists aren't on Venom. Kobra's hoarding the stuff! We don't leave. Not until I know why." The Boy Wonder replied. Wally stepped forward crossing his arms over his chest and glaring down at the younger boy.

"Until _you_ know why?"

"This team needs a leader." Robin explained.

"And it's _you_? Dude, you're a thirteen year old _kid_ , who ducked out on us without a word!"

I groaned loudly as Wally and Rob continued to argue with each other and leaned up against a nearby tree to watch them bicker. To my surprise, Kaldur joined me soon after.

"You seem upset." He observed. I gave a scoff-like laugh as I looked over at him from behind my cowl.

"Lately I've grown concerned over Robin's attitude toward finding a team leader. Considering how Batman currently leads the League, I've been worried that Robin would take it upon himself to take the position of leader."

Kaldur nodded and set a gentle hand on my shoulder, "I understand. His experience is what may prevent him from being the best leader for this team."

I smiled up at him, "Precisely."

"Does that mean you hold an interest in being leader?" Kaldur asked. I looked back over at the others and shrugged, my smile fading.

"I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it. But I don't see myself leading this team."

"Who _do_ you see leading us, then?"

I hesitated for a moment; I had given that a lot of thought too. Warmth spread up through my cheeks as I replied, "I actually was thinking of-"

I was interrupted by a deep chuckle coming from one of the goons we tied up earlier. He was a bulky guy, one of the biggest guys in the group. A luchador mask hid his face.

"Such clever niños. But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest. Get you into the factory via my secret entrance." The man said in a deep, accented voice.

M'gann walked over to the man and kneeled in front of him, prying into his mind.

"There _is_ a secret entrance, but he's also hiding something."

"Ah, ah, ah, chica. Bane is not that easy." The man replied smartly.

"Ugh," the Martian growled, "He's mentally reciting futbol scores en español. This could take a while."

"It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Bane said slyly. I narrowed my eyes. Bane wasn't to be trusted; that much was obvious to me. Nevertheless, Robin and Kid Flash untied the masked man and allowed him to lead us to a nearby ridge overlooking the factory. The Boy Wonder pulled out a pair of binoculars to get a closer view of the factory and its inhabitants.

"Wildcat, take a look at this," Robin called. I walked over a grabbed the binoculars from him and looked down at what he was pointing to. What I saw was surprising, to say the least. There was a shit ton of product waiting for pickup. Stacks of crates and tons of armed Kobra guards were surrounding a helipad.

"Holy shit. Look at all of that product! Somebody has to be buying and, whoever it is, has some serious cash flow. This can't be going to the typical drug-lords that use Venom." I whispered.

"I agree." Kaldur muttered. "We need to identify the buyer."

"Just what I was thinking." Wally commented. I rolled my eyes and bit my tongue. There was nothing I wanted more than to wipe that grin off of Wally's smug face, but now wasn't the time.

"Yeah, you're the thinker." Rob replied sarcastically.

"Sarcasm? Dude, a real leader would focus on getting answers." Wally shot back. Not far off, Bane pushed a large boulder off of what at first appeared to be a mound of earth and stone. In its place, an old mining tunnel stood.

"Answers are this way."

I looked over at Kaldur questioningly and saw him giving me the same look. Neither of us wanted to do this. But what other options did we have?

"Let's go, then." I replied to Bane.

He simply nodded and began walking into the tunnel. Kid was clearly unhappy with our guide, but he followed anyway.

"So, now El Luchador is our leader?"

"Enough with the complaining, KF." I snapped as Rob punched the speedster in the arm.

* * *

A few minutes later we were inside the factory. Robin scoped out the area before giving us the signal that the floor was clear. We all snuck in quietly and began making our way toward the main hangar, but Bane stopped us when he realized that Robin had vanished.

"Has that little fool already been caught?"

Aqualad sighed, "No. He just does that."

"Stay here." Wally whispered as he lowered his goggles over his eyes, "I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder."

Then he was gone.

"Kid, hold on!" Kaldur called quietly, but it was pointless; the speedster was gone.

"Great chain of command." Bane said smartly. I clenched my taped fists tightly, trying to resist the urge to punch Bane in the face. Kaldur's slight glare at me encouraged me to keep my hands to myself for the time being.

Bane then led us over to a wall of crates that hid us from the Kobra sentries that guarded the hangar. Stacks and stacks of crates of new product were being brought out to a helipad.

"Man, with all of that product, a buy _has_ to be happening." I gasped, noticing that Kobra himself was there, waiting for his client to arrive.

"Yeah, but they're only taking new product off the line." Superboy pointed out, gesturing to the crates we were hiding behind, "They're not touching _this_ Venom."

"Maybe freshness counts?" M'gann offered. I shook my head.

"I don't think so. Something else is going on here. Whatever it is, it has to do with the new line of Venom."

"Helicopter incoming." Superboy interrupted. 30 seconds later, a helicopter landed on the pad and was swarmed by Kobra sentries. I set a hand on M'gann's shoulder and nodded toward the cultists.

"Can you see who the buyer is? Use camouflage mode to see whoever it is and send a telepathic image back to Aqualad." The Martian nodded in response, went camo and flew off toward the crowd. Next to me, Kaldur waited quietly for M'gann's image, eyes closed, breathing steady.

"Sportsmaster!?" He said suddenly, " _He_ is the buyer!?"

My breath hitched. Sportsmaster was easily one of the most dangerous villains Dinah and I have ever faced. If he was involved, that meant that there was a possibility that the League of Shadows was involved too.

"Aqualad to Red Tornado. Do you read? Ugh!"I looked over at Kaldur, as did Superboy.

"Can't reach the League, Robin, or Kid. Comm's jammed." _Great_. Just what we needed.

"Then, we're gonna need a plan. And we're gonna need it now." I answered.

Bane then stood up and grinned, "I have a suggestion." He leapt over the crates with a shout and started to attack the cultists.

"What the hell is that guy doing?" I yelled over the sound of rapid gunfire. Superboy and I both jumped the crates and started to fight off sentries, shortly being joined by Kid and M'gann. Robin was confronting Kobra. As we fought, a familiar voice resounded in my head.

" _Everyone online?_ "

" _Yeah._ "

" _I hear you._ "

" _You know it, beautiful._ "

" _Good. We need to regroup._ " Aqualad instructed.

" _But busy now._ " Robin replied. I could see him moving to confront Kobra; a fight that he would most definitely lose.

" _Robin, no joke, get back here now!_ " I shouted telepathically. The Boy Wonder hesitated for a moment, but left to rejoin us nonetheless.

" _Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path._ "

" _You got it._ " Kid flashed a grin as he lowered his goggles and took off, allowing us to retreat into the tunnels. Not far behind us, a cluster of goons and a giant creature that looked like a Cadmus experiment gone wrong, followed.

"Superboy! Take out the support beams! Cut them off from us!" I yelled.

A roar from the clone, followed by a quaking throughout the tunnel told me that Superboy had done as asked. Once we were certain that we were in the clear, Kaldur and I ignited a few light sticks and tossed them on the ground, bathing the tunnel in an eerie red light. Robin leaned against the new wall of dirt and stone that separated us from the factory and began to think aloud.

"How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?"

"You do have the most experience," Kaldur pointed out, "but perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play a part in an unknown plan."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hand?" Robin lashed. I set a hand on his shoulder and he recomposed himself. He turned to face Kaldur.

"Who am I kidding? _You_ should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one who can."

"Please! I can run circles around-"

"Wally," I interrupted, "You can't deny it. You know he's the one." I looked over at Kaldur and smiled.

"We all do."

"Hello, Megan! It's so obvious!"

"Could've told ya."

Wally hesitated but eventually smiled and crossed his arms over his chest, "Ok."

"Then I accept the burden, until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders." The Atlantean said, striding over to Robin and setting a hand on his shoulder, "You were born to lead this team, maybe not now, but soon."

Our new leader turned to face the rest of us, "Alright. Our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island."

Robin smirked, "Funny, I had the same thought."

* * *

With our new plan set, we took off toward the entrance to the tunnel. As we ran, Kaldur, Robin, Kid and I discussed what the Boy Wonder and speedster had found when they disappeared earlier in the factory. Turns out Kobra combined Venom with the Blockbuster formula to create a stronger, permanent variant of Venom, which explained the creature that was chasing us in the tunnel.

"So hang on, something doesn't add up," I said as I ran beside Robin, "Sportsmaster is our buyer and supplier but there's no way he could have acquired Project Blockbuster on his own or to hire Kobra to do his dirty work."

"And neither of them had the brains to combine Blockbuster with Venom." Wally continued, running at regular speed, "That took some major nerdage."

"I believe the expression is 'tip of the iceberg'." Aqualad finished as we reached the entrance to the tunnel. Once there, we were stopped by none other than Bane, who had vanished during the initial fight.

"Halt niños. I'm feeling... _explosive._ " In his hand, he held a trigger system that connected to a series of small charges the surrounded the entrance to the tunnel.

"You betrayed us! Why?" Aqualad said, visibly surprised by Bane's action.

"I want my factory back." Bane explained.

" _Kid, get a running start for this._ " Kaldur ordered mentally as Bane continued to explain his actions.

"So, I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would surely come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect."

Bane made to set off the charges, but nothing happened.

"With what? This trigger thingy?" Kid asked smartly, waving the trigger around while leaning against a nearby tree. Bane tried to grab Kid, but M'gann lifted him off the ground before he could reach him. With the drug boss levitating in the air, Superboy stepped forward cracking his knuckles and grinning.

"Finally... drop him."

* * *

I waited in the shadows with M'gann to ambush Sportsmaster's helicopter. As we waited, M'gann engaged me in small talk.

"So, what were you and Aqualad talking about earlier?"

I turned my face away to hide my blush, "Nothing. We were just discussing who we thought should lead the Team."

" _Wildcat, Miss Martian, move!_ " Kaldur's voice rang out in my mind. Deftly, I moved toward the helicopter from the opposite direction of Miss Martian who would serve as a distraction for Sportsmaster while I planted a charge. M'gann was clearly no match for Sportsmaster but she gave me enough time to do my job without detection. Once Sportsmaster took off, M'gann and Superboy set off the explosive and sent our bad guy spiraling down. We rejoined Kaldur, Wally, and Robin as Kobra disappeared into the jungle.

"We picked the right guy to lead." Robin said with his signature smirk, walking toward our new leader, "Making you the perfect guy to explain this mess to Batman."

* * *

"A simple recon mission. Observe and report." Batman scolded us back in the Cave as soon as we finished explaining what happened. "You will each receive a written report detailing your _many_ mistakes. Until then... good job."

Whoa. Batman just complimented us. I should've been recording this moment to cherish forever.

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy." Did he just quote The Art of War? "How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And who you choose to lead determines character. Official training sessions will begin in ten days. Until then, get some rest."

We all nodded and dispersed. As I made my way to the zeta tubes, a hand fell on my shoulder stopping me. It was Kaldur.

"I hate to keep you from returning to Star City, but something has been on my mind."

"What would that be?" I asked, arching a brow.

"Who had you truly thought to be fit to lead the Team?"

I smirked as I stepped back into the zeta tube.

 _"Recognized: Wildcat, B zero one."_

"You, Kaldur." I replied.

And then I was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello all! Thank you for reading and don't forget to follow, fav, and review!**

 **Disclaimer: Same as all the other chapters.**

* * *

 _ **Schooled**_

 _Star City_

 _August 2, 11:25 PDT_

I stepped into the near-empty diner and looked around for Roy, finding him sitting in a corner booth, a mask no longer hiding his face and his Speedy uniform replaced by a pair of jeans, sneakers and a black t-shirt. I sat down across from him and he pushed a menu in front of me.

"Nice to see you out of costume, Roy." I said with a smile.

"I was going to say the same to you, kid." Roy smiled back, "So, I heard you went out for the first time."

"Yeah, we did. It was a rocky start at first, but we were able to pull together and get the job done."

"Hi, are we all set to order?" A young waiter with platinum blonde hair asked us. Roy looked over at me and I nodded.

"I'll have a burger. Lettuce, tomato, onion, no mayo. And an order of curly fries." The archer ordered.

"Make it two. And can I get another water?" The waiter nodded as he wrote down our order before taking our menus and walking away.

"So," Roy continued, "Where did he send you guys?"

"Santa Prisca. Recon turned drug bust. And we elected Kaldur as leader of the Team."

"You're kidding? Kaldur?" He asked with an arched brow and a lopsided grin, "I would've thought it would have been you."

"Hey! Be nice! But I'll be honest, you're not the first person to think that. I gave it some thought, but I think that he'll be better at maintaining the others. I mean, c'mon, Roy. I'd lose my mind trying to keep Wally in check; I can barely handle you." I replied.

"Hilarious, kid. But I guess you have a point. You managed to inherit my temper when it comes to pressure, even though we aren't actually related."

I chuckled in response, "I spend too much time with you. Though I'd be okay with that if you were on the Team with me. The guys wouldn't mind having you on board either."

"Maybe someday, Whiskers. But right now, I have a few things to figure out. I can't go back to being Speedy after everything I said."

I nodded in understanding as the waiter returned with our food. We dove in and continued our conversation.

"So when do you go back?"

"Tomorrow. Dinah is starting her training sessions with the Team which means I'll probably end up being her sparring partner for her lessons."

"I'd wish you luck, but I know you won't need it. Not with the training you've had in the past."

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _August 3 13:06 EDT_

The Team, with the exception of Superboy, was playing holo-air hockey while we waited for BC to arrive. Currently, Kaldur and Wally were playing and the latter was subtly cheating using his superspeed. As Wally scored his winning point, banana in hand, Superboy returned from spending the morning in Metropolis.

 _"Recognized: Superboy, B-zero five."_

"Hi, Superboy! How was Metropolis?"

No response came from the clone. Instead, he simply walked past us and made his way toward the showers, but was interrupted by the arrival of Black Canary and Martian Manhunter.

"Ready for training, everyone?" BC asked with a smile. I joined my mentor as M'gann spotted her uncle.

"Black Canary! Uncle J'onn!" The Martian girl flew over to her superior and wrapped her arms around him.

"M'gann. I was... in the neighborhood, so thought I'd see how you are adjusting." J'onn said happily.

"A few bumps, but I'm learning!"

"That's all I can ask."

Dinah looked over my shoulder at Superboy as he tried to sneak away, calling out, "Stick around! Class is in session."

The two of us walked on the main floor as Superboy begrudgingly rejoined the group. Beneath our feet, the floor lit up, ready for combat. BC continued her introduction.

"I consider it an honor to be your teacher. I'll throw a lot at you. Everything I've learned from my own mentors," she winced in pain as she removed her jacket, revealing her bandaged arm, "and my own bruises."

"You okay?" I asked in concern. My mentor smiled over at me.

"I'm fine. It's all part of the job. Now, get in position."

I obeyed, cracking my knuckles and getting into a basic fighting stance. Black Canary continued her instruction while I held my position.

"Now, combat is about controlling conflict, putting the battle on _your_ terms. You should always be acting, never _re_ acting. Kara will need a sparring partner for this."

Wally raised his hand eagerly, mouth full of banana, "Oh, right here!"

The speedster walked over to stand across from me and smirked, "After we're done with this," he tossed his banana peel into a nearby trash can, "I'll show you some of _my_ moves."

"You're all talk, Wally. Are you going to flirt or fight?" I teased. Wally got into position and waited for my move. I threw a simple right hook at him, which he blocked easily. But he wasn't expecting me to go low and kick his feet out from under him, causing him to land flat on his back."

The speedster laid sprawled out on the floor. Next to him, a hologram appeared, reading, "KID FLASH, STATUS: FAIL".

"It hurts so good." Kid groaned. Robin and I laughed as I extended a hand to help him up.

"I'll give you points for your block and your one liner." I said, still laughing and patting him on the shoulder. Black Canary chuckled under her breath before addressing everyone else.

"Good block, but did anyone see what he wrong?"

"Oh! He hit on Kara and got served!" The Boy Wonder joked, earning himself a jab from Kaldur's elbow.

"DUDE!" Wally exclaimed with embarrassment.

Black Canary's expression turned stern as she continued to instruct her new students, "He allowed Kara to dictate the terms of-"

"Oh, please." Superboy groaned. BC and I turned to face the Kryptonian, "With my powers, the battle is _always_ on my terms. I'm a living weapon. And this is a waste of my time."

"Prove it." Dinah challenged. She stepped aside, exposing me to Superboy. Behind me, I could hear Wally and Robin placing bets.

"Five bucks says Wildcat kicks Superboy's butt." Rob whispered.

"Oh, you're so on."

For a while, Superboy and I just glared at each other. I could feel a smirk creeping onto my face as I slid into a fighting stance with Superboy doing the same.

"Go ahead. Give it your best shot." I taunted. Anger spread across the clone's face as he threw a heavy punch at my head. His movements were slow, so I was able to dodge, grab his arm and shift his weight, allowing me to flip him onto his back. I turned to face him and the Team, still in a fighting position. Behind Superboy, Robin was suppressing a laugh.

"You're angry. Good." Dinah commented toward Superboy, "But don't react. Channel that anger into-"

"Rraahh!" Superboy charged at me, but I lifted myself over his shoulder, landing on all fours as he rotated to swing at me, allowing me to take out his feet in the same manner I did with Kid Flash. I straightened up and extended a friendly hand out to Superboy, who in return gave me an icy glare and shoved my hand aside. He stood on his own.

"That's it! I'm _done._ " He seethed. Black Canary stepped in.

"Training is mandatory." She reminded him calmly. He whipped around and glared at my mentor in retaliation while I rejoined the others, falling into line between Wally and Kaldur. As Superboy and BC stared each other down, Batman appeared on a holoscreen behind them.

"Batman to the Cave. Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary. The attacker was capable of studying then duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant."

"Whoa, one guy with the powers of the entire League." Wally breathed. Batman disregarded the speedster's comment and continued.

"In the end, it took eight Leaguers _four hours_ to defeat and disassemble the android."

"Wait, this guy was an android?" I questioned, "Who made it? T.O. Morrow?"

"Good guess, Wildcat. But Red Tornado doesn't believe so." The Dark Knight replied.

"The technology bears the signature of... Professor Ivo." J'onn said darkly. My breath caught in my throat when I heard the name. That sneaky little bastard was alive? How was that even possible?

"Ivo? But Ivo's dead..." Kaldur gaped. He was just as confused as I was. Dinah looked over her shoulder at us.

"So we all thought... or hoped."

"To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized, we're sending two trucks carrying the android's parts to two separate S.T.A.R Labs facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation. Every precaution is being taken. We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion, in case Ivo or anyone tries to recover the remains. You will split into two undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks." Batman concluded.

"Yes! Road trip!" Wally cheered. Superboy crossed his arms and focused his stare on Batman.

"So now we take out your trash?"

"You had something better to do?" Batman shot back. Points to the Bat for the great comeback. A ring sounded from Kaldur's handheld.

"Coordinates received. We're on our way." Kaldur said.

* * *

 _Litchfield County_

 _August 3, 20:08 EDT_

The best thing to come out of our mission at the time was the free motorcycle. Everyone got one that was customized to their new outfit. Mine was black, white and charcoal grey. Underneath my new civvies, I wore my uniform in case of any issues.

With everyone geared up, we waited within the nearby trees and brush for Batman's signal. Several members of the League were there as well, including Superman, who was doing everything in his power to avoid being in contact with Superboy. That must've been why Superboy was upset earlier. Which meant that he would be a pain to ride with all the way to New York. Lucky me. Thankfully, I would have the Boy Wonder to keep me company, while Kaldur and M'gann would have to put up with Wally all the way to Boston.

As I waited, my mind drifting off to unknown places, a hand appeared on my shoulder. It was Kaldur.

"I will be in contact with you while we head for our separate destinations. If anything should happen, notify me first, then the League."

I nodded in response, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, "I'll also let you know when we arrive in New York. We'll zeta back to the Cave from there."

"Good." He replied with a smile. He opened his mouth to say more but behind me I could hear the trucks revving up. It was time to go. I set my helmet on my head and mounted my bike.

"I'll see you when we get back." I said as I started my bike. Without waiting to hear a response, I led Robin and Superboy after the New York truck and its two decoys.

* * *

We rode for about half an hour in silence without any problems. That was when Robin tried to make small talk with Superboy.

"If dislike is the opposite of like, then is disaster the opposite of aster? See instead of things going wrong, they go right."

I rolled my eyes, while Superboy didn't respond at all.

"Um, clearly you're not feeling the aster. What's wrong?"

"Canary." Superboy grunted. I glanced over at him cautiously.

"I mean, what business does she have teaching combat skills to a guy with super strength?"

"There are some cases where strength isn't as important as skill." I replied calmly, "I mean, look at me. I'm probably a good seven inches shorter than you and I was able to take you down without super strength. No offense, of course."

"None taken, I guess." The clone growled.

Then, without any warning, a group of robotic simians rocketed over us and attacked the truck. In my ear, Kaldur's voice rang out.

"Kara! Our truck is under attack!"

"So is ours. Ivo?" I replied.

"Undoubtedly, protect the parts and report back." Kaldur ordered before going offline.

"I _hate_ monkeys." Superboy growled angrily.

"Robot monkeys! Totally Ivo's tweaked style!" Robin shouted as he switched his bike into battle mode. Superboy, however, ditched his bike completely and leapt on to the truck, joined shortly after by the Boy Wonder. I remained on my bike pulling out a Glock 21 and taking out the monkeys on the back of the truck. Even after emptying my clip, more robots came after the truck using lasers to infiltrate the truck and steal the parts.

"Aaahh!" Superboy yelled as he tumbled off the truck. I glanced back for a moment, but being a Kryptonian meant that he had invulnerability, so I wasn't too concerned.

"Robin, the robots have the parts and are taking out the tires! Get the driver out!" I called out over the comm as I watched two monkeys blow the front tires.

With Robin and the driver safely out of the truck, which had quickly become a pile of fiery scrap metal, I stopped my bike and waited for Kaldur to ring in. It didn't take long.

"Aqualad to Wildcat, we've lost our cargo. Did you-"

I sighed heavily, interrupting him, "We lost it."

A small quake from behind me came from Superboy as he leapt off after the parts. Robin tried to call after him, but it was pointless.

"Aqualad! We've lost Superboy! He's gone rogue!" I exclaimed into the comm.

"I will try to contact him." Kaldur replied, "Aqualad to Superboy. Radio your position, we'll help you."

"Don't need help! Don't want any!" Superboy shouted, followed by static.

"Sounds like he ditched his comm." Robin said, carrying one of the monkeys over his shoulder.

" _Super_. Now we can't even track him." Wally said with venom. A brief pause came before M'gann spoke up.

"He's out of my telepathic range. This Professor Ivo, if he is alive, seems to be two steps ahead of us... maybe we should contact Red Tornado?"

"Tornado always tells us to handle things ourselves. And the mission can still succeed if we recover the parts before they're reassembled." Kaldur answered.

"Well, that's a great plan," Wally said sarcastically, "Except for the part about us not knowing _where to look_!"

"Relax, KF." I sighed.

"Yeah, dude. Calm down. We may have a way of finding the parts after all." Robin went to work hacking into the robot he had been carrying, "We would've heard by now if the decoy trucks had been attacked. So how did these monkeys know exactly which trucks to target?"

I looked over the Boy Wonder's shoulder as he worked his way into the robot's systems. My eyes widened when I saw what he had found.

"Guys, the parts have GPS. The monkeys can track the signal, so we can track them with the one Rob caught. And it looks like the parts are converging on Gotham City." I announced to the others.

"That far south?! M'gann and I won't get there anytime soon. I'm sending Kid on ahead to meet you. Aqualad out."

With the comm line now silent, Robin summoned his bike, now a one-wheeler, and removed his helmet, "I'm gonna change, Cat. You ought to do the same."

I nodded in response and unzipped my jacket, tossing it to the ground along with the matching pants, revealing my uniform sans the cowl. I removed my helmet, slid the mask over my eyes and replaced my helmet.

"You ready, Rob?" I called out to the cornfield where he was changing. He emerged fully dressed, helmet on.

"Yeah, let's get those parts."

* * *

 _Gotham City_

 _August 3, 21:21 EDT_

When Robin and I reached the Gotham City limits, there was no sign of Superboy. As we entered the city limits, we were joined by Wally, who had also changed.

"So you changed too?" Rob asked the speedster.

"You kidding? I feel naked in civvies!" Wally joked, "You still tracking the parts?"

"They were heading through Gotham, but they've veered." Robin replied, "Wait. Guys, they're at my school!"

"And which school would that be, Bird Boy? You do know there's around 10 different private schools around the city and about twice as many public schools." I questioned.

"Gotham Academy." He replied shortly, before speeding ahead and leading us to the school.

When we got there, Superboy was in the gymnasium along with the reassembled android and Ivo himself. As the android was about to crush Superboy, Kid sped out and grabbed the clone, bringing him over to where Robin and I were. The Boy Wonder threw a birdarang at the android who responded with a robotic 'Martian Manhunter', allowing it to density shift. The birdarang passed easily through the android and exploded behind him.

'Access: Red Tornado.' The android created a whirlwind and flew toward us, blowing us in separate directions, slamming Superboy and Robin into the bleachers, and Wally and I into a wall. Wally helped me up shakily just as the android raised its hand and said 'Access: Captain Atom.' The speedster grabbed me and sped off behind the bleachers as a nuclear blast struck where we once stood. As Kid round the corner and set me on the ground to charge the android, I heard 'Access: Black Canary,' followed by a canary cry. I tapped my comm twice to activate an automatic muffler in my cowl, protecting my ears from the high decibels. Kid wasn't as fortunate. He was slammed into the floor as Superboy tried to land a hit on the android.

'Access: Superman.' The android grabbed the clone's fist and nailed him in the jaw, sending him flying back into the bleachers. I lunged at the android ('Martian Manhunter.') who density shifted again and let me pass through him. Wally sped up to the android who grabbed him in both arms, accessed Superman, and began to crush the speedster. He screamed in pain, but it was cut off by the familiar sound of an arrow being loosed. The android phased again, releasing Kid Flash in the process. I noticed the green fletching on the arrow, it was similar to Oliver's but it wasn't one of his, nor was it one of Roy's.

Superboy charged the android again but was thrown by the android into the bleachers on the other side of the gym. Robin threw a charge at the android who destroyed it with a blast of heat vision which nearly barbequed me and Rob, had we not been saved by KF.

I breathed heavily as I tried to plan out how to take this android down. Ivo, however, was growing bored at our attempts to beat his creation.

"Oh, yawn. Normally, Amazo would study and mimic your abilities during battle, but what's the point? You're all such poor copies of the originals." Ivo droned, with an air of overconfidence. The monkey robots that sat next to him cackled loudly.

"So everyone keeps saying," Superboy growled, "It makes me ANGRY!"

The Kryptonian lunged at Ivo, who clearly wasn't expecting to be attacked. He narrowly dodge Superboy's hit.

"Wanna see me channel that anger?" Superboy shouted.

"Great. He's gone ballistic again." Kid exclaimed. But being a student of Ted Grant and Dinah Lance, I knew better.

"Not quite, Kid. I know what he's doing and I think I know how to stop this thing." I said with a smirk.

"Amazo! Protect your master! Priority Alpha!" Ivo commanded. The Amazo android sprang into action, defending Ivo from Superboy's attack, leaving the Professor wide open.

"KF, Rob, focus on Ivo! Keep him away from Amazo and keep him moving; don't let the android focus on you for too long." I instructed. The professor tried to escape with assistance from his monkeys, but Robin knocked him down before he could take off.

"Anyone wanna play keep away?" He asked happily.

"Oh, me! Me!" Wally answered as he zoomed toward Ivo. As he approached, Amazo sent a small quake his way, sending the speedster flying over Ivo's head. I picked up one of Rob's birdarangs that had been lying on the floor and threw it skillfully at the android's head.

"Superboy, NOW!" I yelled as the android became intangible. Superboy leapt in front of the android and threw his fist at Amazo's head. As the android became tangible again, Superboy's hand was surrounded by metal, before being freed by a small explosion, resulting in the loss of the android's head.

Robin sped over without any hesitation as the body of Amazo collapsed, "Wildcat, help me disassemble it!"

"Dude, the guy has no head." Wally pointed out as the two of us began removing pieces.

"Don't take any chances!" Aqualad's voice echoed in the gym. I looked up and held back a grin as he and M'gann approached us.

"Superboy! Are you okay?" M'gann asked worried as she helped him up.

"Fine. Feeling the aster." He replied smiling at Robin and me.

"Hey! Where's Ivo?" Wally asked, clutching his arm. We all looked around, searching for the professor, but he was gone.

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _August 4, 01:06 EDT_

We got back to the Cave a little after one. Everyone stood in front of various members of the League as we reported what had happened. In my hand, I clutched the arrow from earlier.

"The Amazo android is in pieces again, safely being analyzed at the two separate S.T.A.R Labs. But Ivo escaped, and since he originated the tech, he's arguably more dangerous than the android." Kaldur explained.

"Capturing the professor will be a League priority." Dinah declared, glancing over at me with a nod.

"But we understand your mission encountered _other_ complications." Manhunter continued, glancing at Superboy. Batman then stepped in front of us.

"Complications... come with the job. Your ability to handle them has impressed the League."

"The _whole_ League?" Superboy asked hopefully. Batman hesitated for a moment, before facing the clone.

"Given time, yes. Kryptonians as you know have very hard heads." I smiled at Superboy, who smiled back in response.

"Of course, there's no shame in asking for help. That's why the League exists, because there are some problems even we can't handle individually." The Dark Knight continued.

"Please." His protégé replied, ripping the arrow out of my hand, "If we needed help, we'd never get the chance to ask. Look familiar?"

He held out the arrow to his mentor, who took it and handed it to Green Arrow. Robin continued his rant, "You were following us! Babysitting! You still don't trust us!"

"We didn't follow you." Batman replied coolly. Oliver drew one the arrows from his quiver and showed us the difference in the two arrowheads.

"And that's not your arrow... but that means-"

"Speedy!"

"He has our backs." The three protégés all smiled at the thought of Roy helping the Team, but I glanced at Ollie and Dinah with a frown and shook my head. This wasn't Roy's doing.

"Souvenir!" Wally exclaimed, snatching the arrow out of GA's hand. As I walked over to BC, ready to leave, Superboy came up behind me. clearing his throat.

"I'm ready." He said quietly to my mentor. She turned to face us and smiled.

"Good. Because I'm here." She looked down at me and crossed her arms, "Kara, what do you say? Want to give me a hand?"

I chuckled tiredly, "Maybe later. Right now, I'm beat. I need to sleep. I'll go back to Star City with GA."

My mentor nodded as I walked over to Ollie. He smiled at me and clapped me on the back. "Ready to go, Cat?"

"More than ready."

* * *

 _Star City_

 _August 4, 1:38 PDT_

As Oliver and I stepped into his equipment cache, I pulled my cowl off of my face. We changed into our civvies and snuck out onto the street.

"I'll call a car for you if you wanna head back to the apartment." He offered. I glanced up into his bright blue eyes and grinned.

"I'd rather crash at Queen Manor, if you don't mind, Ollie."

The archer laughed and ruffled my hair, "Sure thing, Whiskers, but first, you have to tell me something."

"What?"

"How do you know it wasn't Roy?"

I shrugged nonchalantly, "The fletching was green; Roy's has always been red. And the arrowhead was wrong. Roy uses a serrated edge like you, not a rounded one. But whoever it was, they were a good shot."

"Yeah... a good shot..." Oliver trailed off as the Queen limo pulled up to the curb.

* * *

Queen Manor was one of the nicest homes on the West Coast. The fact that I could crash there whenever I wanted was a big plus for me. Training rooms, an Olympic sized pool and a kitchen with a 24-hour staff was only the beginning of what Oliver had at his disposal as the CEO of Queen Consolidated and the Green Arrow.

When we arrived, I practically ran to my personal guest room and collapsed on the bed. I whipped out my phone and sent Dinah a text telling her where I was. After getting the okay text from her, I finally passed out, exhausted from the long day.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: First things first, I want to thank everyone for reading! I'm glad you are all enjoying the story as much as I am! As far as shipping goes, Spitfire will be canon in this fic leaving:**

 **A) Roy**

 **B) Connor**

 **C) Kaldur**

 **You won't know who the lucky guy is for another couple of chapters b** **ut don't worry, Kara will be with someone by the time they get to India. Enjoy and don't forget to fav, follow and REVIEW!**

 **Disclaimer: You already know what it is.**

* * *

 _ **Infiltrator**_

 _Gotham City_

 _August 7, 20:41 EDT_

When Oliver had called me out to Gotham, I had assumed that it involved some sort of team-up with Batman and Robin. I was quite incorrect in that thought. I arrived at Ollie's rooftop coordinates and waited for him to meet me there. What surprised me was when I was joined not only by Green Arrow, but by Batman as well.

"Good. You're here." The Dark Knight acknowledged my presence with a nod which I returned. I crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for an explanation.

"There's someone we want you to meet." GA began, "We found the archer who helped you a couple of days ago against Amazo. And we want them to join the Team."

I arched a brow in surprise, "You've given up on Roy, I see. So who's the mystery archer?"

Someone leapt onto the roof behind me and turned to see who it was. It was a girl, about my age, with long blonde hair and gray eyes that rivalled mine in shade. She was clad in a hunter green uniform that exposed her stomach and in her hand she held a matching green bow.

"That would be me." She answered with a smirk, extending her free hand, "I'm Artemis. And you must be Wildcat."

"That's right, but you can call me Kara." I responded shaking her hand firmly, "It's great to meet the person who saved our speedster from being crushed into dust. I'm looking forward to working with you."

"Likewise."

"Artemis will be meeting the rest of the Team tomorrow." Batman said, "But since the two of you will be working in Star City during your downtime, we thought it would be best for you to be acquainted ahead of time."

I nodded in understanding at the Dark Knight and looked to Oliver for further input.

"Roy is off the grid right now so we don't know where he is. He won't be thrilled about this, but he'll have to deal. For now, I'd say we call it a night. If the two of you could meet here tomorrow at 1:30, we'll zeta to the Cave together."

"That shouldn't be a problem, GA." I replied for both of us.

"See you both tomorrow then." Batman dismissed us before disappearing into the night.

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _August 8, 14:20 EDT_

" _Recognized: Wildcat, B-zero one, Artemis, B-zero eight, Green Arrow, zero eight._ "

I had been invited by the others to spend a day on the beach outside the Cave, but an assassination attempt on the Mayor of Star City prevented me from going. Batman and Oliver told me to keep Artemis a secret until she arrived, which was easy enough. Unlike Wally, I can keep my mouth shut.

As we stepped onto the main floor, I heard Artemis gasp as she took in the Cave for the first time.

"Pretty cool, huh?" I asked with a grin. She nodded slowly, continuing to look around.

"Way cool."

"Team, report to the Cave." Batman called out over the comm. A few more minutes went by before everyone came back, changed into their uniforms from their beach attire. Smiles appeared on their faces when the saw me, followed quickly by looks of confusion seeing our new archer.

"Everyone, this is Artemis. My new protégé and the newest member of the Team." Green Arrow explained. For a moment, no really did anything. But then, M'gann and Robin smiled, Superboy nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, and Kaldur stepped forward, extending his hand.

"Welcome to the Team. I am Aqualad, this is Robin, Miss Martian and Superboy." Kaldur greeted. Artemis took his hand and shook it confidently. While the other members of the Team introduced themselves, I hung back by Green Arrow.

"Heard anything from Roy yet?" I asked, hoping he would say yes. But he shook his head solemnly.

"'Fraid not, Whiskers. But Canary and I are doing everything we can to find out where he is."

" _Recognized: Kid Flash, B-zero four._ "

"The Wall-man is HERE!" Wally emerged from the zeta tube dressed to hang out on the beach, carrying an excessive amount of beach items, "Now let's get this party star-"

The speedster tripped over a towel and landed on his face, dropping everything he was holding and earning an intense glare from Batman.

"Ted." Wally finished his statement weakly as he stood himself back up. The others turned to face him, exposing him to Artemis.

"Wall-man, huh? I _love_ the uniform. What exactly are your powers?" She smirked. I stifled a laugh, but it was hard to hide the amusement on my face, even with my cowl on.

"Uh, who's this?" Wally asked.

"Artemis, your new teammate." She replied smartly.

"Kid Flash. Never heard of you." The speedster answered. Oliver walked over and set a hand on Artemis' shoulder.

"Um, she's my new protégé." GA explained. A look of surprise fell on Wally's face.

"What happened to your old one?"

" _Recognized: Speedy, B-zero seven._ "

"Well, for starters, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore." Roy entered the Cave, decked out in a new red, black and gray uniform, still sporting the domino mask and carrying a new bow, "Call me Red Arrow."

"Roy." Ollie said with shock, "You look-"

"Replaceable." Roy spat at his former mentor.

"It's not like that. You told me you were going solo." GA tried to explain.

"So why waste time finding a sub? Can she even _use_ that bow?" Roy questioned angrily. Artemis stepped forward proudly.

"Yes, she can." She answered shortly.

"Who are you?" Wally interrupted.

"I'm his/she's my niece." Oliver and Artemis answered quickly. It was a rouse of course, but under strict orders from Batman, I wasn't allowed to say anything about Artemis' secret identity.

"Another niece?" Robin asked.

"But she is not your replacement." Kaldur told Roy, "We have always wanted you on the Team. And we have no quota on archers."

"And if we did, you know who we'd pick." Wally continued. I elbowed him in the ribs sharply.

"Whatever, Baywatch, I'm here to stay." Artemis said, rolling her eyes.

"You came here for a reason, Roy," I stated, turning the conversation to something other than his unwillingness to join the Team, "what is it?"

"A reason named Dr. Serling Roquette." Red Arrow replied, walking over to the Cave computer.

"Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City." Robin said, pulling up Roquette's file on the computer, "Vanished two weeks ago."

" _Abducted_ two weeks ago." Roy corrected, "By the League of Shadows."

"Whoa, you want us to rescue her from the Shadows?" Robin said, extending his fist to Wally who bumped it excitedly.

"Hard core."

"I already rescued her." Roy said, crushing their dream, "Only one problem. The Shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon. Doc calls it the Fog, comprised of millions of microscopic robots, nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path. Concrete, steel, flesh, bone. But its true purpose isn't mere destruction, it's theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen intel directly to the Shadows. Providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science and tech."

"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power-broking. Yeah, sounds like the Shadows." Artemis finished.

"Oh yeah, like you know anything about the Shadows." Wally said with a pout on his face. Artemis glanced over at me and we both smirked at Wally, who grew increasingly frustrated, "WHO ARE YOU?!"

"Roquette's working on a virus to render the Fog inert." Roy continued.

"But if the Shadows know that she can do that, they'll send someone after her to make sure it can never be used." I finished. Roy nodded.

"She's off the grid, right now. I stashed her at the local high school."

"You left her alone?" GA asked incredulously.

"She's safe enough for now." Roy shot back.

"Then let's you and I keep her that way. Like we used to."

"You and I? Don't you want to take your new protégé?"

Green Arrow looked over at Batman, who narrowed his eyes at the archer. He sighed and turned back to his former student, "You brought this to the Team. It's their mission, which means it's hers now too."

"Then my work here is done." Roy shoved past us and made his way over to the zeta tubes.

" _Recognized: Speedy-_ "

"That's _Red Arrow_ , B-zero seven. Update." And then he was gone.

* * *

 _Happy Harbor_

 _August 8, 21:53 EDT_

Aqualad, Artemis, Kid Flash, Robin and I stood waiting in the computer lab of Happy Harbor High School while Dr. Roquette worked on the virus. We had already been there for a few hours and had no activity. M'gann and Superboy stood outside on perimeter.

 _"Everyone online?"_ M'gann's voice suddenly echoed in my mind. Artemis clutched at her head, not used to the telepathic link.

" _Ugh, this is weird."_

 _"And distracting. Coding a distributive algorithm on a kiddie computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to_ _hear teen think in my skull?"_ Dr. Roquette snarled telepathically. I huffed angrily, earning a soft glare from Kaldur.

 _"Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?"_ Kid asked.

 _"Pot, kettle. Have you met?"_ Artemis smirked.

 _"Hey, I don't need attitude from the newbie that drove Red Arrow off the Team."_

Artemis leapt up from where she was sitting and jabbed a finger at KF, _"That is so not on me."_

 _"Fate of the world at stake!"_ Dr. Roquette interrupted.

I straightened up and stood between the archer and the speedster, glaring at both, _"Enough you two."_

 _"She started it!"_ Wally complained. Artemis began making her way toward the door.

 _"How 'bout I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter?"_

 _"Good idea."_ Kaldur replied.

 _"You might cut her some slack. It was her arrow that saved your butt against Amazo."_ Robin pointed out to the speedster with a grin.

 _"What? No, that was Speedy's- I mean, Red Arrow's arrow, right?"_

 _"Not quite, Kid."_ I replied.

 _"Humph,"_ Kid huffed, _"Well, still not giving her the satisfaction."_

 _"You know I can still hear you."_ Artemis called out as she walked out to the perimeter. Wally's eyes went wide in a combination of surprise and frustration. He grabbed his temples and groaned out loud. Aqualad ignored Kid and went to stand behind Dr. Roquette.

 _"The virus will not be of much use if we cannot find the weapon. Can you track it?"_ He asked the doctor.

She whipped around to glare at him, _"My utility fog is NOT a weapon. It's science! Brilliant science! And of course I can track it! But I'd have to go online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address and 'Assassinate me' written in neon."_

Kaldur set a reassuring hand on the doctor's shoulder, _"We will protect you."_

Roquette sighed heavily, then turned to the computer once again, _"Tracking Fog now."_

A few minutes later, I was patrolling the hallway outside the computer lab when I heard Artemis ogling over Superboy.

 _"Mmm, that boy."_

 _"He can hear you."_ M'gann pointed out jealously, _"We can all hear you."_

 _"Oh, I know."_

 _"Wildcat, Dr. Roquette has located the Fog in Philadelphia. You, Robin and Superboy need to stop it from stealing any more intel. Miss Martian, reconfigure the Bioship so they can pursue."_ Aqualad ordered. As I made my way outside, my comm rang in my ear.

"You've got Wildcat." I greeted whoever was calling me on a private line.

"Kara," It was Kaldur, much to my surprise, "Report to me when you arrive in Philadelphia and notify me when the Fog has been neutralized."

"Will do. And don't worry about us, we'll be fine." I answered with a smile, even though he couldn't see it.

"I would not be doing my job as leader if I did not tell you to stay safe." A blush crept on to my face as I was joined by Robin. I switched to the telepathic link.

 _"Don't underestimate the Shadows, Aqualad. They're capable of just about anything, and they aren't afraid to get their hands dirty to get the job done. Be ready for anything and everything."_

 _"Understood. Now go!"_ Kaldur replied, as Rob and I boarded the Bioship with Superboy. I took the helm and we began to make our way to the City of Brotherly Love.

* * *

 _Philadelphia_

 _August 8, 22:39 EDT_

When we arrived in Philadelphia, Robin was able to locate the Fog's target: S.T.A.R. Labs. But when we arrived, it was completely destroyed. I was taken aback by the amount of destruction that the Fog had caused. A mountain of rubble was all that remained of one of the most advanced science facilities on the East Coast.

"Wildcat to Aqualad. We're over Philadelphia and we've located the Shadows target: S.T.A.R. Labs. We're too late. It's been decimated. This is bad, S.T.A.R. Labs is cutting-edge science and tech, and now it's in the hands of the Shadows... what's next?" I asked quietly.

There was a brief pause before Kaldur responded.

"Dr. Roquette is scanning for the Fog again. We will send you coordinates as soon as we have them."

"Roger that, Wildcat out."

Robin tapped away at his wrist computer while Superboy sat in silence. Moments later, an alert appeared on the Boy Wonder's wrist.

"Got the coordinates for the Fog. Let's just hope we're not too late."

* * *

The next target came as a shock not only to me, but to Robin as well. It was a Wayne Tech building. Of everyone on the Team, only Wally and I knew who Robin really was. Richard 'Dick' Grayson, ward of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman.

"The next target is a Wayne Tech facility. In theory, its system's software could be used to hack the-" Robin hesitated. I knew that the Wayne Tech software was connected to the Batcave and by extension, the Justice League computer. But Superboy didn't.

"The what?"

"That doesn't matter, right now." I answered for Dick, "What _does_ matter is that Wayne Tech operates a 24-hour work force. We'll never be able to evacuate everyone in time!"

"Receiving the virus now! If I can get access to one of the Wayne Tech computers, I can shut down the infiltrators." Robin said. Superboy's eyes narrowed as he focused on a figure sitting in a van in the parking lot below us.

"Don't need the virus." The clone replied, jumping down to the lot and charging the figure, who from my point of view looked like Professor Ojo.

"Superboy! Wait!" I yelled as I tried to stop the clone. I groaned as I watched the Fog fly into the building and turned to Robin, "Get inside; shut down that weapon!"

"On it." The Boy Wonder nodded as he leapt down and took off toward the building. After a few minutes, I got a call from Robin over the comm link, "The infiltrators have been outfiltrated."

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Nice wordplay there, Bird Boy. Now, hurry up and get back out here. Superboy is beating the crap out of Ojo; I'll need your help to reign him in."

"On my way out."

I leapt down onto the concrete and pressed my fingers to my comm to call Kaldur, "Wildcat to Aqualad. The Fog has been neutralized. We'll be back soon."

"Good. We encountered an assassin, but the doctor is safe, as are the others." He answered me. I smiled lightly as I approached Superboy, who had finally released Ojo. Robin joined us as I finished my conversation with our leader.

"We're on our way. We'll meet you back in the Cave."

"Of course. We will be waiting. Aqualad out."

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _August 9, 23:16 EDT_

When Robin, Superboy and I returned to the Cave, Batman was there to greet us. We reported what had happened in Philadelphia and he dismissed us for the night. As I was about to head to the zeta tubes, dressed now in civilian attire, my phone vibrated in my back pocket.

 _From: Dinah_

 _Ollie and I are stuck at charity dinner. Won't be back until around 2, spend the night at the Cave. Don't want you going home alone._

I chuckled as I read the message. I found it funny that my mentor thought that I wouldn't be safe walking back home from the zeta tube in Star City, but she had no problem with me going hand to hand with a Kryptonian. But I knew better than to argue with her, so I turned on my heel and walked back to the common area, where M'gann and Superboy were channel surfing.

I set myself down in a chair and waited for them to pick something to watch.

"Aren't you going back to Star City, Kara?" Superboy asked with an arched brow.

"I _was_ , but something came up and Black Canary wants me to spend the night here. Luckily, I already have a room set up here for situations like these." We all had bedrooms in the Cave for late night missions and in case of emergency situations. And frankly, since I sat down, a rush of tiredness fell over me that prevented me from even considering returning to Star.

"In fact, I'm going to head to bed now. It's been a long night. I'll see you guys in the morning."

* * *

I was almost to my room when I turned a corner and crashed into Kaldur. Embarrassment fell over me as I realized how stupid I probably looked.

"Sorry, Kaldur. I didn't see you."

"My apologies, Kara. But I thought you had returned to Star City." He said, a bit distracted. I could see in his pale green eyes that he had something on his mind. Something was troubling him.

"Yeah... Something came up, so I'm spending the night here... Are you alright? You seem distracted." I asked, concerned. He gave me a false smile.

"Yes. I've just been thinking about a lot of things lately. It's nothing you need to worry about." He dismissed. He stepped past me and as he turned the corner said, "Good night, Kara."

And then he was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: First, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews! It's so awesome that you guys are enjoying the story! And now, as a bit of a reward, I shall tell you that Connor and M'gann are going to be canon in this fic, leaving only Kaldur and Roy. BUT, for those of you who wanted Connor to end up with Kara, I plan on having him and Kara develop a close friendship in later chapters, with a lot of friendship moments. It was a tough decision for me to make, considering how they do work well together, but I don't see them as being a couple.**

 **Disclaimer: Do I really need to post it?**

* * *

 _ **Denial**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _August 19, 19:39 EDT_

With Black Canary on monitor duty at the Watchtower, I was overseeing sparring matches for the evening. At the moment, I had paired Superboy with Kaldur.

"Remember what we worked on, Superboy!" I called out as they began to wrestle each other, "Control yourself and you control the situation."

Within about thirty seconds, Superboy had managed to throw Kaldur onto the floor with a flourish, before brushing off his hands. I grinned with pride at how much progress the clone had made over the past few weeks.

"Black Canary and Kara taught me that." He said with pride.

"And you executed it perfectly. You're a fast learner, Superboy. I wasn't able to do anything like that until I had completed four years of intensive training. Great job." I said, clapping Superboy on the shoulder and smiling up at him.

"Indeed. Your skills have greatly improved." Kaldur added with a small smile as he stood up with help from the clone. On the other side of the floor, M'gann and Artemis burst out laughing and Wally was loudly finishing off a snack. Above us, Red Tornado descended from his apartment.

"Do you have a mission for us?" Wally asked as he sped over to the robot. RT continued to walk away as he responded.

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility."

"Yeah, well, the Batman is with the Robin doing the dynamic duo thing in Gotham. But you're headed somewhere, right? A hot date? Or a mission?" The speedster pressed.

RT hesitated for a moment but then turned to the computer and pulled up a file. My eyes went wide and I was unable to hold in a gasp.

"This is Kent Nelson. A friend of both mine and Wildcat's. He is 106 years old."

I heard Wally whisper over to Artemis, "Guy doesn't look a day over 90."

"And he has been missing for 23 days." Red continued, "Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, the precursor to your mentors' Justice League."

"That's right." I replied, my arms crossed over my chest and my head bowed, "Kent was Earth's sorcerer supreme. He was Doctor Fate... How am I only hearing about this now, Red? Why didn't Ted contact me?"

"He did not wish to alarm you. But it is possible that Kent may simply be on one of his 'walkabouts'."

"No. Kent is the caretaker of the Helmet of Fate, he wouldn't leave it unguarded for long. Something happened to him." I growled angrily.

"He's like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars." M'gann marveled, "I would be honored to help find him."

"Me too!" Wally injected himself into the conversation, firing a hand into the air, " _So_ honored, I can barely stand it. Magic...rocks."

Artemis and I shared looks of indifference before rolling our eyes. Red stepped forward, handing Aqualad a golden key.

"A key to the Tower of Fate?" I asked with an arched brow.

"Yes. You will need it when you arrive at the designated coordinates. I suggest you begin your search in Salem."

I nodded as I overheard Wally trying to flirt with M'gann, "What are the chances we both so admire the mystic arts?"

I groaned and grabbed Wally by the collar of his shirt and began dragging him to the Bioship with Artemis laughing the entire way.

* * *

I released Wally in front of the Bioship and he went on board with a pout, followed closely by Artemis. As I was about to board, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me away. I spun right into Kaldur's chest.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked me, his hand lingering on mine, "I know that you and Kent Nelson know each other. But if you think you won't be able to control yourself-"

"Kaldur." I interrupted softly, "I understand why you would think that. But I can handle it. You don't need to worry about me. I'll be okay."

Kaldur hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to press me to stay behind. But he nodded anyway, if not reluctantly and finally released my hand. As I turned to enter the Bioship, I could still feel his eyes following me and I was glad that I was facing away from him so he couldn't see my blush.

I took my seat next to Artemis while Wally continued to pout. Artemis leaned over to me.

"Your blushing." She pointed out with a grin.

"Believe me, I know." I muttered, wishing that I could just disappear for a while.

"So tell me, who's capable of making _the_ Wildcat blush like that?" Artemis whispered.

I shrugged, "As of right now, only one person."

* * *

 _Salem_

 _August 19, 20:22 EDT_

As we approached Salem, Artemis continued to try and crack Wally's 'I believe' act.

"So, Wally, when did you discover your _honest_ affinity for sorcery?"

"Well," Wally leaned back in his chair and looked over his shoulder at M'gann, "I don't like to brag, but, uh, before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and held back a loud groan.

"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but-"

"Nothing's there." Superboy observed. We landed near a small park in Salem which stood across from a few abandoned buildings.

"Take us down." Aqualad ordered.

When we stepped out into the open air, I shivered, not realizing how brisk it had become. Wally took off and began to search the area at super speed. He came back seconds later reporting nothing.

"This isn't simple camouflage." Artemis crossed her arms.

"So what do you think? Adaptive microopto-electronics and phase shifting?"

"Yea-" Wally noticed M'gann watching him, "I mean, no! Clearly, mystic powers are at play."

Then it hit me. The key.

"Kaldur. The key. Use it." I instructed. The Atlantean stepped forward with the key in his hand. He held out his hand and made a turning motion, revealing the Tower of Fate to us. I slipped on my clawed gloves, feeling like I would probably need them.

"Have you ever been inside the Tower before, Kara?" M'gann asked.

"Only once, when I was nine. It was the first time I met Kent. But I'm not sure if the Tower will recognize me anymore." I explained, remembering that day. I was with my grandfather, and he took me to visit Kent before I began my training. Kent became like a second grandfather to me after that.

We stepped inside the tower and the door vanished behind us.

"Uh, where'd the door go?" Superboy asked. A ghost-like apparition of Kent appeared in front of us.

"Greetings. You have entered with a key, but the Tower does not recognize you. State your purpose and intent." The apparition said. I was about to answer, but Wally beat me to it.

"We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate!"

The apparition kinda stared at Wally for a second, then he disappeared as did the floor underneath us. Everyone screamed as we all fell, but I was able to quickly regain myself and dig my claws into the wall. I reached out and managed to grab Kaldur with my free hand. I pulled him up and allowed him to wrap an arm around my shoulders while my arm moved to his waist.

M'gann grabbed Wally and levitated above the vat of lava that lingered below us. Artemis managed to pull out a handheld crossbow and hold herself above the lava. Superboy dug his hands into the wall but he managed to slide his feet into the lava, he yelled in pain as the lava burned his boots away.

"Those... were my favorite boots. This Nelson guy better be worth it!"

Above us, M'gann was growing tired and beginning to descend slowly toward the lava.

"Having trouble... maintaining altitude... so hot."

"You certainly are." Wally flirted.

"WALLY!" Artemis and I scolded.

"Hey! Inches above sizzling death, I'm entitled to speak my mind!" He shot back. I could feel Kaldur's grip on me start to lessen as he grew weaker too.

"My physiology... and M'gann's are susceptible to extreme heat. We must climb out quickly." The Atlantean panted. Almost instinctively, I tightened my hold around his waist.

"Hello, Megan! We never truly answered the question!" M'gann realized, "Red Tornado sent us to see if Mr. Nelson and the helmet were safe!"

Beneath us, a platform formed over the lava pit, allowing us to land safely. I released Kaldur and let him leap down, Artemis, Superboy and I followed close behind him. M'gann lowered herself and Wally slowly to the floor.

"This platform. It should be red-hot, but it is cool to the touch." Kaldur observed, reaching out to touch the platform. Meanwhile, Wally was helping M'gann stand.

"Don't worry Megalicious. I got you."

"ENOUGH!" Artemis shouted, shoving Wally away from M'gann, "Your little 'impress Megan at all costs' game nearly got us all barbecued!"

"When did this become _my_ fault?" He shot back.

"When you lied to that... whatever it was, and called yourself a _true believer._ "

"Wally... you don't believe?" M'gann asked, genuinely surprised. We all glared at him for a bit before he finally fessed up.

"Fine! Fine! I lied about believing in magic! But magic is the real lie, a major load!" He said, crossing his arms.

"Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers." Kaldur argued calmly.

"Dude, ever hear of bioelectricity? Hey, in primitive culture, _fire_ was once considered magic too. Today, it's all just a bunch of tricks." Wally countered.

"You're pretty close-minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers." Artemis spat.

"That's _science._ I recreated the Flash's laboratory experiment and here I am. Everything can be explained by science."

I walked over to a trapdoor that had formed on the platform and grabbed the handle. I looked up at Wally with a smirk.

"Wanna bet on it?"

"Wait! The backdraft from the lava will roast us-"

I lifted the door open and a flurry of snowflakes erupted from the hatch.

"It's snow!" M'gann exclaimed.

Artemis looked over at Wally with a cheeky grin, "Do you ever get tired of being wrong?"

* * *

We all jumped through the hatch and found ourselves in a frozen tundra. After Wally jumped through, the door closed, leaving us with no way out. Artemis looked over at the speedster accusingly.

"Well?"

"Ever hear of string theory? We're in a pocket dimension."

"Ugh!" The archer groaned.

The rest of us turned to survey the area, when M'gann pointed out an object suspended in midair not too far from where we were standing. It was a cane. Kent's cane.

"Ooh, maybe it's Nelson's magic wand." Wally mumbled sarcastically. He sped over to the cane and grabbed just as Artemis did.

"I got it." They said simultaneously as the cane began to glow, "I can't let go!"

Suddenly, they were lifted into the air and vanished in a bright flash of light. The others turned to look at me for some kind of explanation, but I had nothing. I shrugged.

"I guess we start walking." I suggested.

* * *

As we walked, we discussed Wally's unwillingness to believe in magic and sorcery. I kept the fact that I was getting cold hidden during our con

"I don't understand Wally. It's almost like he needs to believe the impossible can't happen." M'gann started. I nodded in understanding and agreement.

"Wally has always been the kind of person who thinks that everything can be solved by logic. The idea of their being something beyond that is something that he can't bring himself to believe." I explained.

"Agreed. For him to relinquish the control he has over what he cannot comprehend would shatter everything he once thought he knew." Kaldur added.

A creaking sound then brought us to a halt. Up ahead, on a small hill, appeared steps and an open doorway. Our way out of the tundra. We made our way out quickly, worried that the door may disappear again, and ended up on our backs in a sort of limbo area with a large golden bell in the center of a platform. In front of us, stood Kent, Wally and Artemis. The archer rushed over to help us up as a young demon-looking boy with a cat and Abra Kadabra began to attack us.

"Good to see you again, Miss Grant. I do wish we could have met under better circumstances." Kent called out.

"Never mind the formalities, Kent! Go! Protect the Helmet!" I yelled back. He gave me a kind smile and turned to the bell, rang it and disappeared with Wally and the demon kid, leaving the rest of us to face Abra.

Superboy and I charged at the villain, but he trapped us under domed cages of lightning, sending pain through every inch of us. Kaldur and Artemis tried to take him down but suffered the same fate as Superboy and I.

"M'gann! Send a message to Wally! Tell him we need help!" Kaldur cried out as electricity coursed through him. The Martian managed to send a telepathic message to Wally in time, but was trapped shortly after.

We waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity, but the pain made me lose all track of time. The pain finally subsided when a large glowing ankh appeared behind Abra Kadabra, taking away his tech and clothes and freeing us from the cages. Superboy approached him and knocked him out with one punch. With Abra taken care of, all we had to do was wait for Wally to return.

He came back a few minutes later, sadness lingering in his eyes, the Helmet of Fate in his hands. I choked back a sob.

"He's gone, isn't he?" I whispered hoarsely. Wally nodded solemnly and held out the Helmet to me.

"He said that he would always be there for you. And that he wants you to be the one that tells your grandfather." I paused for a moment, staring at the Helmet. Then, slowly, carefully, I took the Helmet in my hands.

"Okay. I'll tell him."

* * *

 _Happy Harbor_

 _August 20, 01:15 EDT_

Calling my grandfather was one of my least favorite activities. There was only two reasons that I ever called him. His birthday and Christmas. But this... this was so much harder.

With everyone sitting around me, I felt a sense of support, but it didn't help much as the call went to voicemail.

 _"You've reached Theodore Grant. Leave a message at the tone."_ A muffled beep rang and I took a deep breath.

"It's me, Ted. I know I don't call as often as I should, but I needed to be the one to tell you this. Kent is gone. He wanted me to be the one who told you. I know how much he meant to you as a friend, and I want you to know that, if you need anything, you can just give me a call."

I stopped, not sure of what else to say, so I ended the call and made my way to the back of the Bioship as we landed. With the Helmet of Fate in my hands, I strode past everyone and went to the trophy room. As I set the Helmet next to Cheshire's mask, I was joined by Wally, who pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Whiskers. I can only imagine how you're feeling."

"Thanks, Wally." Over his shoulder, I saw Artemis waiting to talk to Wally, so I pulled away and left them. I pulled out my phone and texted Dinah and Oliver.

 _To: Dinah and Ollie_

 _We lost Kent. Don't really wanna go home. Staying at the Cave._

After getting the okay from both of them, I walked out to the common area and sat alone in my thoughts, too tired to fall asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay, so I've been dropping increasingly less subtle hints since Chapter 1 on who I'm pairing Kara with, but this chapter is kinda where feelings officially come into play. So... yeah. Oh, and fair warning, this chapter is more of a filler than anything, so it will be a bit shorter than the others.**

 **Disclaimer: [insert disclaimer here]**

* * *

 _ **Downtime**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _August 27, 07:58 EDT_

In the days following Kent Nelson's funeral, I found both myself and Kaldur off our game. Neither of us were entirely focused, though it was probably for different reasons. My reason was Ted Grant. It had been almost four years since I had last seen him and the circumstances were not pleasant. But Kaldur... Kaldur had had something eating at him for a while now, at least since Artemis had joined the Team.

That was only proven by our botched mission to take down Clayface in Gotham, which was why we were all covered in slime and gunk. Had Batman not intervened, we probably wouldn't have made it out of there alive. The Dark Knight was clearly unhappy with Kaldur's performance because as soon as we returned to the Cave he said, "I need to talk to Aqualad. The rest of you, hit the showers and head home."

"Head home?" Superboy asked, incredulously, "I _am_ home."

We all walked to the showers and cleaned up quickly before changing into civvies. As Wally and I walked back to the zeta tubes, we discussed our plans for the weekend.

"I'll be spending my free time up near Lake Tahoe. Oliver's family owns a ranch up there, so I'll be spending my last few days of freedom on horseback. It'll be nice to have some peace and quiet for a couple of days before my tutors return from vacation." I explained. Having a billionaire act as my legal guardian meant that I didn't have to attend public school. Instead, I had a series of private tutors who taught me at Queen Manor. Thanks to them, I was fluent in Russian, Spanish, French, Bialyan and Atlantean. This year, I would begin learning Latin. Did I also mention that I have an IQ of 180?

"Nice, Whiskers. Way to rub your richness in my face." Wally joked, lightly punching my arm.

"Not my money. Ollie's money." I pointed out. He laughed.

"Well, regardless of whose money it is, I'll still be spending Saturday in Central City with Barry and the Garricks. It's Jay's birthday tomorrow, so all of the speedsters are celebrating."

"Sounds like a good time. Send Jay my best and tell him happy birthday from me."

"Will do."

" _Recognized: Kid Flash, B-zero five._ "

Once Wally was gone, I began to step into the zeta tube when I caught Kaldur out of the corner of my eye. He seemed even more upset than he was earlier.

"You okay, Kaldur?" I asked without really thinking. He looked over at me, surprised that I had seen him.

"Kara! My apologies, I didn't see you. Yes, I am fine, just... conflicted. I am hoping that a visit to my home will help."

I didn't say anything, I just nodded and made my way over to the zeta tubes.

"Well, whatever it is, I hope you figure it out." And then I was gone.

* * *

 _Lake Tahoe_

 _August 27, 13:04 EDT_

I arrived by car at Queen Ranch around 9 o'clock. As soon as I walked into my bedroom I collapsed and took a decent nap. By the time I woke up, Dinah and Oliver had already arrived and were getting settled. I decided to go to the kitchen to grab a snack before going out riding. Ollie's chef, Raymond, was nice enough to make me a turkey sandwich with fries, though I was fine with just an apple.

As I sat in the small dining room, I looked aimlessly out the nearby window, gazing at the pine forest and mountain range that surrounded the property.

"Earth to Kara Grant." The snapping of fingers in my ear brought me out of my trance. It was Dinah. "Are you there?"

"Yeah, sorry. I just... have a lot on my mind." I answered cautiously. I took another bite of my sandwich as my mentor sat down across from me.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

I shrugged, not sure of what to say in response, "I... think I might have feelings for someone. But I'm not sure if they're genuine. And I'm worried that going any further might ruin our friendship."

Dinah smiled at me and set a hand on top of mine, "You'll never know for sure unless you take that step. Start by talking about it and see where it goes."

I scoffed lightly at the idea of talking it out, "He's not really much of a talker. Not to mention he's had a lot going on for a while now."

"Be patient. You'll know when the time is right."

I smiled and finished the rest of my sandwich, leaving the fries for Oliver (at his passing request).

"I'm going for a ride to the lake. I won't be gone too long." I said, standing up from my seat. Dinah nodded and let me go. Once outside, I took a deep breath and relished in the warmth of the beautiful summer day. I followed a dirt walkway to the barn where the Queen family kept some 20+ horses. I strode down the aisle until I reached a stall containing a black warmblood with white socks and a star on his head. The nameplate on the door read: 'Orion, Owned and loved by Kara A. Grant'.

I slid the door open and led Orion into the aisle to tack him up. With his saddle and bridle on, I got on at took off at full gallop toward Lake Tahoe. I had been down the trail to the lake so many times that I had memorized the way there. When I arrived, I dismounted and tied Orion to a nearby tree.

I shoved my hands into my jean pockets and walked down to the lakeshore, thinking about my conversation with Dinah.

"Talk to him?" I asked myself, "How? I wouldn't know what to say. How could I talk to him without sounding like a total idiot?"

I set myself down on a large rock and looked out over the water, continuing to talk to myself, "What if he doesn't feel the same?"

'Then at least you'll know.' My mind told me, 'I mean, come on, the only way you'll really know how he feels is if you talk to him.'

"But I don't know if I can. When I talk to him, the situation is always so serious. He's always been kind of serious."

'So? Feelings can be serious. Especially if they're for someone else.'

"Ugh," I groaned audibly, "When did my life become a teenage drama?"

'The minute you thought that you might have feelings for him.'

I ended my one-person conversation and started to skip stones on the surface of the lake, while Orion stood grazing behind me. I finally returned back to the Queen's property when the sun began to set and after untacking my horse, I returned to the house for dinner, my mind made up.

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _September 3, 19:00 EDT_

I returned to the Cave dressed in uniform, fully refreshed from my time off. I greeted the others and we waited in the common room for Kaldur to arrive.

"So, Wally, how was Jay's birthday?" I asked.

"It was good. Jay says thanks for the birthday wishes, by the way. He's glad you still think of considering how long it's been since he's seen you." Wally said with a wide grin, "What about you? How was your weekend getaway to Lake Tahoe?"

"Relaxing. I was able to think through some things that have been on my mind lately. Coming back, I feel like I'm in a better mental state than when I left."

"Team, report for debriefing." Batman rang over our comms. Time to go to work. We walked to our briefing together, where we saw Aqualad conversing quietly with Batman.

"Just in time for your next mission." The Dark Knight finished, before turning to the rest of us, "The Watchtower detected an immense surge in the Bialyan desert. Spectral analysis revealed elements non-terrestrial in origin. Find out what happened at that site, what landed there. Bialya is a rogue state, ruled by Queen Bee and _not_ a member of the League's UN charter. All communications are subject to interception. Maintain radio silence at all times. You'll arrive in Qurac on Bialya's border, two clicks from the hot-zone. It's a long trip, you should take the time to rest up before landing. Dismissed."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Wow, three chapters in two days, go me! Once again, thanks to everyone who has been reading, I'm sooo glad you enjoy Wildcat! And, as always, don't forget to fav, follow and review!**

 **Disclaimer: Y'all already know it.**

* * *

 _ **Bereft**_

 _Bialya_

 _September 4, 06:21 EEST_

I woke up in a lot of pain in a place that was unfamiliar to me. My head pounded, my back ached and a sharp stinging sensation ruptured from my right shoulder. When I looked over at my shoulder I saw that it was caked in sand and... blood... _my blood._ A bullet had managed to wedge its way under my armor and hit me. Luckily, it didn't hit an artery and the bleeding had pretty much stopped.

'Oh man, what happened to me? Where am I? And... how did I end up with a bullet in my shoulder?!' I tried to recall as much as I could, but was drawing a blank. I couldn't remember anything, in fact, the last thing I remember was taking down Merlyn with Oliver and Roy before he could assassinate the Star City Police Commissioner...

But that wasn't what mattered right now; what mattered was finding out where I was and how I got there. I stood up, nursing my arm, and started walking over the multitude of sand dunes that lay before me. I trudged over sand, silently begging to stumble upon an oasis amidst the never-ending desert.

The sound of rapid gunfire erupted not far behind me, making me jump. Whoever it was, they would soon cross paths with me and I had the feeling that they wouldn't be friendly when they found me. I took off at a run, trying to distance myself from the gunfire as quickly as possible, but it was becoming harder and harder to maintain my focus.

As the sun rose higher, I grew more and more dehydrated, and being in a black uniform didn't make things any better. My shoulder was throbbing violently and my headache was getting worse in the heat. I finally collapsed when I tripped over my feet going down a sand dune. Trying to get up was a struggle, so much so that I could barely lift my head. Not far ahead, I could see a few rock formations that could provide cover for me. Carefully, I dragged myself behind one of the large rocks and relished in the shade, knowing that it wouldn't last long. A rumbling sound began to approach me, causing me to instinctively duck down and hide as slowly, my vision turned to black, much like my memories.

* * *

"Wildcat. Wildcat, wake up!" Someone slapped me hard and my eyes snapped open. I was lying on the ground, staring up at a now starry night sky. I was still dazed and when my vision finally went into focus, I saw that I was surrounded by Robin, Kid Flash, and two girls I didn't recognize.

One was a blonde with gray eyes similar to mine; an archer, I could tell from the quiver on her back. The other was green-skinned, a Martian, wearing a similar outfit to Martian Manhunter.

"Great, you're awake!" Robin said with a smirk, "Now we can restore your memories."

"Whoa, hold on, Bird Boy." I croaked, my throat still dry as bone from lack of water, "What are you talking about? Who are these people? And where in God's name am I?"

"Relax, Whiskers." Kid said calmly, "It's a long story, but the gist is that we're here in Bialya on a mission for Batman. Everything will be clearer once Miss Martian restores your memory."

The green-skinned girl, Miss Martian, stepped forward, her eyes glowing green. Suddenly, I found myself in a place that looked like it had a ton of little TV screens surrounding it. Miss Martian then appeared in front of me.

"Hello, Kara. I've brought you into my mind to help you restore your memories over the past six months. All I need you to do is relax and let me enter your mind." She said quietly.

I held my breath for a moment, then exhaled heavily. "Okay. Just fix my mind."

Flashes appeared in my mind, memories of mine, memories that I thought I never had. I saw the others setting up a recon site, I saw us fighting Sportsmaster and Kobra, and I saw myself fighting alongside Miss Martian and the archer... Artemis, that was her name. And Superboy. And... Kaldur. Kaldur...

My eyes snapped open. I looked around frantically, but saw no trace of Superboy or Kaldur. "Where are the others?"

"We have a lock on Aqualad's location. He's not far from here, but as for Superboy, we're not sure where he is."

"One thing at a time. Let's get Kaldur, then we'll worry about Superboy."

"I agree with Kara. If Kaldur has been wandering the desert for 24 hours, well, that's not good for a guy with gills." Wally stepped up to stand behind me, "Besides, Superboy is indestructible, he'll be fine."

"Great! Now let's go, the sooner we get back to the Cave, the sooner I can have this bullet removed from my shoulder."

* * *

We found Kaldur in bad shape, sprawled out on his back, unconscious, delirious and mumbling phrases in Atlantean. Some of the words were incoherent, but I could make out some of the things he was muttering.

"Tula...lisomeh...agapa oseh..."

A rough translation was, 'Tula, please, I love you.' Whoever this Tula was, she was probably what was making him so distracted. He had feelings for her, and most likely, she didn't feel the same.

"I can't restore his memories in this condition." M'gann said sadly.

"He needs water, he's gone too long without it. Can you call the Bioship?" I asked. M'gann shook her head.

"It's out of range. But Wally could run him there." She suggested to the speedster.

"He's too heavy, and I'm too low on fuel. Right now, I could barely carry her." He said, pointing at Artemis. She nudged him hard in the ribs.

"Why not just levitate him there?" I offered to M'gann.

"I can't! I have to find Superboy. Six months ago he didn't exist; he has no memories. Just animal impulse. I'm the only one who can help him."

"Yeah, but like I said earlier," Wally interjected, "He's indestructible, just ask those Bialyan tanks. It's Aqualad that needs your help. Like now!"

"No!" M'gann screamed, "Superboy's in pain!" She took off to help Superboy against our pleas.

"M'gann! Wait!" Artemis called after her.

"We still don't know what erased our memories! It could happen again!" Robin shouted. But there was no point, M'gann's not so little crush on Superboy won out.

"So now what?" Kid asked.

"We have to carry Kaldur to the Bioship. It's the only way." I replied, still nursing my injured arm. Together, we managed to craft a stretcher out of nearby materials and hoist the Atlantean on it. Wally and Artemis each took a side by Kaldur's head while I fought the pain and carried the other side of the stretcher alone. Robin tracked the Bioship as we made our way through the desert.

* * *

For a while, the only struggle was trying to maintain my composure as pain radiated through my right arm. If I didn't want to have excessive damage, I would probably have to remove the bullet once we got to the Bioship. Lucky me.

We were close to the Bioship when a squad of Bialyan Republican soldiers came up close behind us.

"Quick, over there!" Rob whispered, pointing over to an enclave behind some large rocks. We jogged over to the enclave and set Kaldur down, allowing me to rest my shoulder for a few minutes.

"Tula... dinameta ete in Atlantis symbiose..." Kaldur muttered loudly. Without thinking, I gently rested a hand on his cheek in an effort to quiet him and, to my surprise, it worked.

"We can't risk a firefight with Aqualad KOed like this." Robin whispered. Wally and I groaned quietly.

"Not just him, I'm way out of juice and Kara only has one good arm."

"And I'm almost out of arrows." Artemis pointed out, gesturing to her near empty quiver.

"So what's the plan, Rob?" I asked the empty spot where the Boy Wonder once crouched.

"I almost forgot how much I hate it when he does that." I grunted, removing the armored plate that covered my wound, setting it on the stretcher and moving to tend to Kaldur, while Artemis and Wally argued about something that had happened before they found me.

"Yeesh. Get a room, you two." Robin said, reappearing out of nowhere. We all looked over at him a bit pissed off that he ducked out on us.

"Dude, where were you?" Kid asked.

"Breaking radio silence." Several recordings of Robin's cackle erupted in the distance, drawing the Bialyan soldiers away from us. When the laughter stopped, several clouds of smoke erupted, granting us our escape.

"That's our cue! Move!" Wally, Artemis and I grabbed the stretcher and took off with Robin toward the Bioship.

* * *

Crossing the border into Qurac granted us protection from Bialyan soldiers. As soon as Robin gave us the okay, we slowed to a walk and boarded the Bioship which was only a few hundred feet from the border. In the Bioship's temporary med bay, we set Kaldur on a table and hooked him up to an IV. I took a nearby seat and began removing the rest of the armor from my chest and arms, pulling my cowl off of my face. Taking great care, I shrugged my way out of the top half of my body suit, exposing my gun shot wound and leaving my upper body in nothing but a sports bra.

It looked better with my body suit on. The wound had stopped bleeding, but it was most definitely infected. I looked up to Artemis, who was setting a wet cloth on Kaldur's forehead.

"Artemis, can you find a pair of forceps for me? They should be in one of the drawers." I asked quietly. When she saw my injury, she almost gagged, but nodded. Once she found what she was looking for, she looked back to Kaldur.

"Do you want me stay?" The archer asked me, with a tone that said, 'please say no, because your arm looks disgusting and I don't to look at it any longer than I absolutely have to'.

"No. But if you could send Robin back so he can help me bandage this up." I responded with a soft smile. As Artemis turned to leave, M'gann called out to us telepathically.

 _"Hey, everyone! I've got Superboy. He's back to normal and we're on our way back."_

Aqualad shot up suddenly with a loud gasp, "Who are you?! And how did you get inside my head?" Artemis moved to calm him, but he didn't recognize her. I stood up and set a hand on his shoulder.

"Aqualad, it's me. It's Wildcat. Just relax, you're fine." His eyes widened in recognition, and he laid back down.

"You're injured. What happened?" He asked with concern.

"I'll tell you later, it's a long story." I dismissed him gently.

 _"Hello, Megan! I almost forgot! I need to restore Aqualad's memories!"_ M'gann said over our link.

 _"Aw, man! Me too. I forgot to get a souvenir from the mission!"_ Wally cried.

 _"Don't worry. We've got the souvenir thing covered."_ M'gann replied happily.

 _"I'll tell you what, Wally. If Robin comes back here and helps me, I'll give you the bullet that's been lodged in my shoulder for the past 24 hours as a souvenir."_ I growled in pain. Robin was by my side in an instant, helping me clean the wound.

M'gann and Superboy returned soon after our psychic conversation with a giant spherical device that Superboy insisted on keeping. I knew better than to argue with a Kryptonian so I nodded and let the thing on board. M'gann then restored Kaldur's memories and left with Artemis to fly us back to the Cave.

"Do you want to remove it now or wait until we get back to the Cave?" Robin asked me as we finished clearing the blood and sand from my shoulder. Kaldur, now rehydrated and no longer confused, stood up carefully and removed his IV before walking over to me.

"I had been planning on removing it now. Seeing as its infected, the sooner its gone the better." I answered, trying to avoid Kaldur's concerned stare. I handed the Boy Wonder the forceps.

"Are you sure you don't want any painkillers?" He hesitated, obviously not wanting to pull the bullet out. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Just do it, okay? Don't worry, I'll be fine." Robin took a deep breath before starting. Of all the things that I have ever done, I had never been shot before, so I didn't know what to expect.

The pain was excruciating. Every nerve in my arm was on fire and it felt as though the bullet was drilling its way through my bones. I screamed out of surprise at the intensity of the pain and began to writhe out of instinct.

"Kaldur! Hold me down, don't let me move!" I growled through gritted teeth.

"What?" He asked taken aback. I focused my gaze on him.

"You heard me! Hold me down! If I'm not completely still, Robin won't be able to remove that bullet. Now, do it!" I seethed. Placing both hands on my collarbone, away from the bullet hole, Kaldur kept my back pressed against the chair as Robin slowly pulled the bullet from my shoulder. Once it was out, I extended my hand toward Robin, who dropped the small ballistic in my palm.

I breathed a sigh of relief as Kaldur finally released me.

"Thanks, Robin. I'll clean this off and hand it over to Wally. I don't think that Sphere thing really counts as a souvenir to him."

The Boy Wonder nodded and left, leaving just me and Kaldur. We sat in awkward silence for a while, until I stood up, setting the bullet on the nearby table and searching the cabinets for gauze. I found a roll quickly and looked to Kaldur, silently asking for help.

He gave me a small smile and stepped toward me, taking the bandages from my hand and beginning to wrap my arm and shoulder.

"Perhaps now would be a good time to explain how you received your injury." He said quietly. I turned my head to face him, not realizing how close we actually were. I wasn't able to hide the light blush that appeared on my cheeks so I looked away and began to recall what had happened.

"I was keeping an eye on M'gann as we had discussed before Psimon stole our memories. I took every precaution to make sure I wouldn't be seen. But somehow, a pair of Bialyan soldiers found out that I was watching them. They opened fire on me and one of the stray bullets struck my shoulder just as our memories were wiped. I just don't understand how they saw me..." I trailed off, my voice cracking. I had never been shot before because I had never made a mistake when observing. So what went wrong? What did I do wrong?

My heart pounded in my chest as I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to remember what I had done to tip off the soldiers, but my mind was drawing a blank. Kaldur stopped bandaging my arm to look at me.

"Kara..." He cupped my cheek with his free hand and lifted my gaze to his, "It wasn't your fault. They saw you, but it does not matter anymore. What matters is that you are okay."

I smiled at him softly, our gazes still focused on each other. I was about to say something, but Kaldur spoke up first.

"I wish to speak to you in a more private setting. Perhaps later?"

I was a bit surprised at the sudden request but I recomposed myself and nodded once, "Of course."

He smiled back at me and finished wrapping my arm before helping me back into my body suit and returning to the others. I yawned heavily and grabbed my bullet off the table, rinsed it and cleaned it off, and went to join my friends as well.

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _September 5, 02:45 EDT_

When we got back to the Cave, we were greeted by Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Red Tornado, Martian Manhunter and Black Canary. All of them, with the exception of Tornado, had looks of concern on their faces, even Batman. As soon as I was in Canary's line of vision, she tackled me in a hug.

"Thank God, you're alright." She said in my ear.

"Ow, ow, okay, OW!" I said with increasing volume, capturing everyone's attention. I looked around and huffed before pulling the right shoulder of my body suit away, revealing my wound to the League.

Batman approached me and narrowed his eyes, "Black Canary, bring Wildcat to the Watchtower for treatment immediately. Aqualad and Robin will join you to report what happened. The rest of you, go to bed and get some rest."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you guys so much! I know I say that a lot but I really mean it! This fic jumped from 500 to almost two thousand views over the course of 3 days! You guys are amazing! And as a reward, this chapter is the big reveal for Kara's relationship pairing. As always, fav! Follow! Review!**

 **Disclaimer: You know it.**

* * *

 _ **Targets**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _September 7, 06:35 EDT_

Being on injured reserve is NOT fun. Granted, we haven't had anything to do, but still, I think that Dinah putting me on house arrest was a little much. I was in a sling for the next week and a half, then I would have my stitches removed and I could begin light work with my shoulder again.

I was beginning to lose my mind so I snuck out early in the morning and took a zeta tube to the Cave. Today was Superboy and M'gann's first day of school in Happy Harbor, so I decided to see them off.

 _"Recognized: Wildcat, B-zero one."_

"Kara!" M'gann called out when I stepped into the mission room. I smiled when I saw her.

"Miss me much?" I joked. We both laughed as we walked over to the common room.

"Kara?" Kaldur smiled when he saw that I had arrived. "What are you doing here?"

"I snuck out. Being under house arrest wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. Besides, I wanted to wish M'gann and Superboy well on their first day of school."

"As did we." Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado had joined us in the common room. I nodded to them both, acknowledging their presence.

"Speaking of which, we should probably get Superboy. It's almost time for you guys to go." I said looking up at the clock.

* * *

Superboy was in the hangar, working on his bike with the Sphere. M'gann flew up to him, levitating bag lunches.

"Ready for school? I made our lunches."

"The first day of the scholastic season carries great cultural resonance. We want to wish you both well." J'onn explained to the clone. Superboy's face fell at the lack of a certain Kryptonian's presence.

"Guess it's not a Kryptonian thing."

Kaldur stepped forward, "You may wish to change before you depart."

"Ah, I spent hours choosing this outfit. So what do you think? Can M'gann M'orzz pass as an Earth girl now?" M'gann morphed her clothes into her casual attire, ready for school... aside from her skin tone. Kaldur and I glanced over at each other with looks of uncertainty.

"Uhh..."

"Well..."

"I'm kidding. Meet Megan Morse!" M'gann smiled and twirled as her green skin became Caucasian. She then turned to Superboy, "What's your new name?"

"My what?" Superboy asked perplexed. Clearly, he hadn't thought of one.

"I chose the name John Jones for me, and suggested John Smith for Red Tornado." J'onn offered as he transform into his civilian form, "You could be a John, too."

"Pass." Superboy said quickly. M'gann set a hand on his shoulder and gazed up at him.

"Connor has always been my favorite." He didn't say no, he kinda just shrugged. So we took it as a yes.

"You're gonna need a last name too." I pointed out.

"Perhaps... Kent." J'onn suggested. I looked over at him with an arched brow and an expression that said 'Are you _sure_ that's a good idea, J'onn?'.

"Oh, in memory of Doctor Fate! The late _Kent_ Nelson." M'gann said happily. J'onn returned to his Martian form as he nodded hesitantly in response.

"Exactly." I replied, not wanting to reveal the significance of the last name Kent.

"Ok, sure. I guess it would be an honor or something." Connor shrugged.

"Well then, Connor Kent," M'gann said trying out his new name, "Time to change your shirt."

Connor looked at her confused. She tapped the shield on his chest.

"You don't want to reveal your identity."

With another shrug, he removed his shirt and turned it inside out. He held it up to M'gann with a sigh.

"Will this work?"

She blushed heavily as she glanced at Connor's bare chest.

"Works for me," she said airily. As the clone put his shirt back on, M'gann began pushing him toward the door.

"Wait, shouldn't I be Connor Nelson?" He asked. I smiled.

"Kent sounds better!" I called back just as they stepped outside.

"They grow up so fast." J'onn said quietly before he and Tornado turned to leave, followed quickly by Sphere. A few moments later, I turned to leave as well.

"Better get back to Star. Canary probably knows I'm gone by now." But Kaldur grabbed my free hand as I began to walk away, pulling me to stand in front of him.

"Kara, please. I need to speak with you."

"I really don't think that this is a good time, Kaldur." I argued, not really wanting to have a conversation at the moment. He released my hand and continued to speak.

"It is as good a time as any. Please." He pleaded, his eyes telling me that what he had to say was important. I sighed and nodded, allowing him to lead me to a secluded area of the hangar. I leaned against the wall while Kaldur took a moment to figure out what to say.

"I'm sure you're aware that I haven't been like myself for the past few weeks. In truth, I was debating whether or not to remain here on the surface or to return to Atlantis."

I arched a brow, "I'm assuming you chose to stay?"

He nodded, "Yes. My time in Atlantis helped me realize that this is where I belong. Atlantis will always be a home to me, but it is not where I am meant to be."

"I'm glad you were able to figure things out."

"As am I. But there was something else I learned during my visit as well." He said looking back at me with... was that longing?

"I discovered that someone I deeply care for is with my best friend." So that girl he was muttering about in Bialya was dating his best friend? Yikes.

"I'm sorry, Kaldur." I said softly. He gave me a small smile.

"I wasn't sure what to think at first, but I am happy for them. I will always care for them, that will never change."

"Kaldur, why are you telling me this?" I asked, wanting to know what the conversation was really about. His gaze found mine and held it as he took a step closer to me.

"I am telling you, because while I was in Atlantis, I realized something."

"And what might that be?" I asked, my voice growing quieter as he came closer.

"That I had begun to have feelings for someone else. Feelings that I thought I would never feel again," he took my hand in both of his, "Feelings for you, Kara."

In that moment, my breath caught in my throat, my heart stopped and my head spun. I didn't know what to do or what to say. He _liked_ me? My lack of a response drew him to grow concerned.

"Please, Kara. Say something. Anything." He begged. When I couldn't find the words, I decided to do something that could only be described as stupid or just plain crazy.

I kissed him.

And he kissed me back.

* * *

When we finally... reluctantly, pulled apart, I couldn't stop smiling. I leaned into Kaldur, setting my head on his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat.

"I'm going to assume you feel the same way then?" He joked quietly, one of his hands lacing together with mine, the other moving to my waist, pulling me even closer to him. I laughed into his chest.

"What gave me away?" I said, my smile still lingering as Kaldur's comm rang.

"Aqualad." He said sternly, listening to whoever it was that was on the other line. "Understood. On my way."

"Who was that?" I asked, not wanting him to leave.

"Red Arrow. He is in Taipei and he needs help." Kaldur explained, releasing my waist and leading me to the zeta tubes, our hands still linked together.

"Roy. He's asking for help?" I was shocked. Roy _never_ asked for help, like ever. If he needed help, and was asking for it, then he was in way over his head. I knew that Roy was keeping tabs on Cheshire, he was actually becoming borderline obsessed. He must have followed her to the Rhelasian peace summit.

By now, we had reached the zeta tubes. I turned to face Kaldur, pulling my hand gently away from his and reaching up to cup his cheek. "Go. Help him. And make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine for a moment.

"Will you be here when I return?"

I smiled sweetly at him, "I have to go back to Star City. Hopefully, I can convince Black Canary to let me zeta here when I want. But as of right now, I would say it's better to call me on a private comm frequency."

"As you wish, though I would prefer it if you stayed. I am certain that Red Arrow would be pleased to see you." He said, pressing his forehead to mine.

"Well then, maybe I'll stick around. Besides, someone should be here when M'gann and Connor come back." I replied. He pulled away from me, though not before placing a kiss on my cheek, and smiled warmly at me as he began to walk to the zeta tube.

 _"Recognized: Aqualad, B-zero three."_

And then I was alone. Barely containing my happiness, I pulled out my phone and saw that I had 5 missed calls and 4 unread texts.

The texts were from Oliver, the calls were from Dinah.

Before having my head chewed off by Dinah, I read Ollie's texts.

 _Hey, kid. Dinah wants to know where you are. Call her._

 _She's really freaking out. Give her a call._

 _I'm not kidding, Kara. She's worried._

 _Call her before she kills someone!_

With bated breath, I dialed Dinah's number. She picked up on the first ring.

"Where are you?! I've been trying to call you all morning!" She screamed in my ear.

"I'm in the Cave, don't worry. I'm fine. I just needed to stretch my legs. Plus, it was M'gann and Superboy's first day of school, I wanted to wish them good luck." I explained. There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.

"I couldn't convince you to come back to Star City, even if I tried could I?"

"You know me so well... Roy is in Taipei, by the way. At the peace summit. I know Ollie's worried about him." I said, hoping that telling her Roy's whereabouts would put me on her good side. Another pause on the line.

"You can stay the night at the Cave. BUT, I want you to oversee sparring when the others arrive later." Dinah said defeated. I grinned widely.

"I'd say that's a fair trade. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Kara."

* * *

I spent the time I had reading from the vast collection of books in the Cave's library. Connor and M'gann returned to the Cave not long after three o'clock. I was standing at the island in the kitchen, enjoying an apple and flipping through _Notre-Dame de Paris_ when M'gann flew in, followed closely by Connor.

"How was your first day?" I asked, knowing M'gann would tell me, regardless of whether or not.

"Oh, it was great! We met a bunch of people and I made the cheer squad!" M'gann replied, full of excitement. I smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Congratulations, M'gann. I'm happy for you." I said, looking over at you Connor, "How about you, Connor? How was your first day?"

He shrugged, "It was fine. Nothing special."

"No problems? No fights?" I questioned. He shook his head in response.

"Good. I'm proud of you."

"So, where's Aqualad?" M'gann asked suddenly.

"He's helping Red Arrow in Taipei. He should be back soon." I replied nonchalant, "I'll be overseeing sparring today, by the way. So be prepared."

 _"Recognized: Aqualad, B-zero three."_

My face fell slightly at the lack of Roy's name, but I marked and closed my book, setting it on the table and making my way to the mission room.

"Kara, do you speak French?" Connor asked, picking up my book.

"Fluently. I also speak Russian, Spanish, Bialyan and Atlantean." I answered with a lopsided grin before turning to leave.

I met Kaldur halfway to the mission room. I shoved my free hand into my pocket and leaned against a nearby wall.

"I'm guessing you couldn't convince him to come back with you."

"Unfortunately not. Though he does send you his best. He heard about what happened in Bialya."

"I'm sure he did. But it would've been nice to have him say it to me himself." I said shrugging and looking down at the floor, a scowl growing on my face. In an instant, Kaldur was in front of me, wrapping me in his arms. I leaned into his embrace, enjoying the moment, until it was interrupted by a call from Batman.

 _"Aqualad, Wildcat, Miss Martian and Superboy. Report to the mission room immediately."_

* * *

When we arrived in the mission room, with M'gann and Connor not far behind us, we were met by Batman, Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado and, to everyone's surprise, Superman.

"Is anyone else here?" Batman asked.

"No. It's only us. The others will be here soon though." I reported. Batman nodded in approval.

"Excellent. You four are the ones that we needed."

"Needed?" Connor asked, arms crossed, "Needed for what?"

The Dark Knight pulled up the mug shots of four very familiar ice villains and one unfamiliar woman with a nasty scar on the left side of her face.

"This past Fourth of July, four ice villains staged simultaneous attacks. Mister Freeze, Icicle Jr., Killer Frost and Captain Cold were all easily apprehended. Perhaps _too_ easily. Cold and Frost were immediately sent to Belle Reve Penitentiary; a federal prison designed to house super criminals. The 17-year old Icicle Jr. was sent to a juvenile facility, Mister Freeze to his usual cell in Arkham Asylum. But Freeze petitioned the court to be declared legally sane, and Jr. sued to be tried as an adult. As a result, both await transport to Belle Reve, which seems to have been the goal all along. I'm sending the two of you in to find out why." Batman looked at M'gann and Connor. Then he turned to me.

"Wildcat will be joining you as Kate Hunt, a new guard transferring from Iron Heights, to keep an eye on the both of you. She will be able to leave the prison to report to Aqualad and Red Tornado, who will be waiting in the nearby swamps."

I could feel Kaldur tense next to me. Going undercover in a prison full of super criminals as a guard; a position that's probably even more risky than playing prisoner.

"Who inside the prison will know their true identities?" He asked, visibly uncertain of going through with the plan.

"No one." Batman replied, "We can't be certain the prison staff isn't compromised."

"We'll do it." M'gann spoke for the three of us, "We'll go undercover."

"And we'll get the job done." I finished firmly.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This chapter contains an indirect reference to the Stanford Prison Experiment. Google for more info, but warning, some of the details of this experiment are graphic, violent and inappropriate for younger viewers.**

 **Disclaimer: Same as always.**

* * *

 _ **Terrors**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _September 13, 04:26 EDT_

Against Dinah's wishes and on Batman's orders, I had my stitches and sling removed today. It felt good to have my arm free again, but the circumstances I was under weren't exactly liberating. Going undercover in Belle Reve Penitentiary as a guard... at least I would be armed.

As soon as my stitches were out, Batman had me put in color-changing contacts to match Kate Hunt's eyes. Looking in the mirror after the fake scar was applied, I felt like a different person was staring back at me. One golden eye and one blind eye bore into me as I shrugged into my new Belle Reve uniform.

"Dinah, I'm ready to go." I called out. She came into my room quietly and set her hands on my shoulders. We stood there, silent for a moment or two, until Dinah spoke up.

"You'll be armed. But use it only when you absolutely have to. And remember your training. In a prison full of super criminals, hand to hand combat may just save your life." She said, giving my shoulders a squeeze. I nodded, my stern face remaining still.

"Now go. Batman will be expecting you. And stay safe."

* * *

 _"Recognized: Wildcat, B-zero one."_

I stepped into the mission room, silent and solemn. Sure enough, Batman and Superman were there waiting for me. I nodded to the both of them and they nodded in return. From over Batman's shoulder, I saw Kaldur approaching us, a stern look on his face. He wasn't thrilled with me going undercover. And considering how we had just started... I guess dating would be the best term, I wasn't exactly thrilled about it either. But I knew what I had to do and, regardless of how I felt, I had to do it.

"Are you ready to go, Kara?" Superman asked me. Batman stepped forward, holding a rifle in his hands, extending it to me. He held it gingerly, as though he would vomit if he had to hold it any longer than he really had to. I stared at the gun, then glanced over at Kaldur, who glanced back at me with a pleading look, telling me not to take the gun. But I gripped the weapon in my hand, slung it over my shoulder and turned to the Man of Steel.

"I'm ready." I growled. As I began to follow Superman, I walked past Kaldur, refusing to look back at him. I knew that if I even stole a glance, I would end up changing my mind. The Kryptonian led me through the Cave, taking care to avoid crossing paths with any other members of the Team. When we reached the hangar, Superman stopped and turned to me.

"An armored car is waiting outside to bring you to Belle Reve. The warden, Amanda Waller, will meet you when you arrive. Remember, no one, not even Waller will know who you are until Superboy and Miss Martian arrive. For the next 24 hours, you will be on your own. Keep your head on a swivel and be ready for anything. Aqualad and Red Tornado will be waiting in the Bioship for you shortly after Superboy and Miss Martian reach Belle Reve. You'll be expected to report in at least once every 24 hours after Superboy and Miss Martian are admitted. Good luck, Miss Grant." He instructed me. I arched my scarred brow.

"Don't you mean, Miss Hunt?"

He gave a light chuckle, "Of course. My apologies."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Kaldur's voice entered the hangar as he approached us, "but I need to speak with Wildcat before she departs."

Superman nodded before flying away, leaving the two of us alone. Almost immediately, Kaldur's arms wrapped around me tightly. It took me a few seconds to respond, but when I did I melted into his embrace, listening to his steady heartbeat.

"You can still say no to this, Kara. Batman would understand if you said no." He pleaded, pressing his lips to my temple. I sighed and pulled my head away to look up at him.

"Believe me, I would much rather be with you in the Bioship. But I have to do this. I need to prove to myself that I can do what my grandfather did. I need to prove that I can be like him." I said moving my hand to cup his cheek, my voice strained and quiet. He opened his mouth to say something, but a horn from the armored car outside sounded, cutting him off.

I pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, wishing that time would stand still. His hands slid to my waist as he pulled me closer, wanting more. But another call from the armored car forced me to pull away.

"I'll see you soon." I called out as I walked out to the car. A bearded man in body armor sat in the driver's seat and offered me a nod as I climbed into the passenger seat. Setting my rifle in my lap, I pulled out my phone and saw that I had a text from Dinah.

 _Ted wants to talk to you after you get out of Belle Reve. Says it's important. Be safe._

"Sorry, kid. But you won't be able to have a phone on you when you get to Belle Reve." The truck driver told me, "It's standard policy for guards. Don't want any of those baddies getting our personal info."

I nodded and shut my phone off, shoving it into my bag and staring out the window as we drove away.

* * *

 _Staunton, Virginia_

 _September 13, 16:51 EDT_

In Staunton, I changed cars. The guards exchanged a few words as I climbed into the second car, giving me the opportunity to check my phone without receiving a judging look. One missed call, from the Cave.

I called back, placing the phone to my ear and waiting for a response.

"Hello?" It was Connor.

"Connor, it's Kara. Did you call me earlier today?" I asked him quietly.

"Yeah. Batman wanted me to tell you that M'gann and I will be in New Orleans tomorrow at three o'clock. He's arranged to have you on the transport that will bring us to Belle Reve."

"Is that all? I thought Wally had gotten stuck trying to vibrate through a wall." I joked. I could hear him chuckle deeply on the other end of the line.

"Thanks for that. I needed to laugh, I guess." Connor admitted.

"Everything okay?" I asked. Silence was the answer. I could almost tell that he was scowling.

"Superman?" I asked knowingly. That was usually the answer to his issues and even though he didn't say it, I could tell that I was right.

I peered out my window and saw the guards returning to the car. "Hey, I have to go. Comm me if you need me, don't call my phone anymore. I'm not permitted to carry my phone in Belle Reve."

"Okay," he grunted, "I'll tell Kaldur. He's been acting weird since you left. I guess he's just worried... he cares a lot about you, you know."

I was glad he wasn't there so I didn't have to hide my blush. I didn't realize how observant Connor really was.

"Believe me, I know." I smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow, Connor."

He hung up and I stuffed my phone back into my bag, my smile still lingering on my face.

"Your boyfriend call you?" My new driver asked. I scoffed, my smile finally fading.

"No. My boyfriend is flying down to New Orleans as we speak," I explained, lying to the guard, "That was just a friend from Central City."

"Well, I'm sure Kingsley gave you the rundown about phones in Belle Reve, so I won't bore you. Get some rest, kid. You'll need it. Next car change is in Atlanta."

I nodded and turned the safety on my rifle before setting on the floor of the truck. I positioned myself to face the window and shut my eyes, drifting slowly off to sleep.

* * *

 _Atlanta, Georgia_

 _September 14, 01:16 EDT_

"Wake up, kid. Time to change cars. We're just outside of Atlanta." The guard shook me awake. I yawned heavily and blinked a few times, allowing my vision to clear. Grabbing my gun and bag, I slid out of the truck and crawled into the final car, checking my phone one final time. Nothing. I was officially on my own.

"Let's go. I don't want to waste any more time." I called. The guards spent no time talking, they simply exchanged nods and went their separate ways.

"I'll be delivering you directly to Warden Waller." The guard said in a heavy Louisiana accent, "She got a tip that the Terror Twins were heading to New Orleans later today; has the Justice League working to catch 'em. You and Wilcox'll be in charge of transportin' them along with Freeze and Jr. to Belle Reve. Waller also wants you to keep an eye on Killer Frost and Tuppence Terror once they're incarcerated."

"Understood." I nodded once and turned back to the window.

I dozed off again at some point during the final eight hour drive to the Belle Reve Parish. When I woke up again, it was around noon and we were driving through a thick swamp.

"Welcome to the Belle Reve Parish, new kid." The driver told me. A few minutes later, we pulled up to a massive concrete structure with armed guards at every corner. Belle Reve Penitentiary. We slowed to a stop and exited the truck, the driver leading me to a chain link fence topped with barbed wire. On the other side, two large men stood on either side of a smaller woman. The woman was smaller than me, but that didn't make her any less terrifying.

"You must be Warden Amanda Waller." I observed. She gave me an indifferent expression.

"That's right. And you're Kate Hunt, my newest guard." She replied. I nodded. She gave me a sharp grin as one of her goons opened the chain link fence for me. I stepped inside, handing my bag off to another guard and slinging my rifle over my shoulder.

"I trust that Mayer here gave you the details of your first assignment?" Waller asked me, glancing over at my driver. I nodded again. "Good. Wilcox is waiting for you. Mayer will bring you to him. And keep your safety off in New Orleans. You'll be going in to get the Terrors out."

* * *

 _New Orleans_

 _September 14, 16:53 CDT_

Superman and Martian Manhunter were taking down Tommy and Tuppence Terror as Wilcox and I pulled up. The two of us leapt out as the Leaguers sent the twins sailing into an old Mardi Gras warehouse. Batman intercepted us outside the warehouse, Aqualad not far behind him. I kept my gaze solely on Batman, not even considering glancing at Kaldur.

"I want Hunt coming in. She's dealt with criminals like this at Iron Heights. Mr. Wilcox, stay out here. Superman will be with you shortly to handle the oncoming media. Move out, now!" Batman ordered. I slipped into the warehouse on silent feet, my gun raised. Kaldur went around to meet J'onn. As the Terror Twins came to, I hid in the shadows and waited for Batman's signal. J'onn and Kaldur slapped inhibitor collars onto the twins.

"That don't feel right..." Tommy groaned, "My strength... but... I done just went toe to toe with Superman."

"Congratulations." Connor and M'gann stepped into the light, the former dressed like Tommy, his hair was even bleached and cut. He wore his signature scowl on his face, "That's more quality time than he's ever given me."

I fought the rising sense of empathy, keeping my expression stone cold and my gun aimed at Tommy Terror's head.

"Got your inspiration, sister Tuppence?" Connor asked in an accent that matched Tommy's to a tee. M'gann walked up and studied Tuppence for a moment before shapeshifting into Tuppence herself.

"I believe I do, brother Tommy." She replied with a matching Southern accent.

"Somebody tell me what's goin' on?" The real Tommy asked.

"It's simple." Batman emerged from the shadows and so did I. The Dark Knight placed inhibitor collars on Connor and M'gann, "They're under arrest."

"I don't understand..." The real Tuppence started. I cut her off angrily.

"You don't have to. Now, keep your trap shut!" I aimed for her head without hesitation, my finger resting on the trigger.

"Stand down, Hunt!" Batman barked. My glare remained strong as I slowly lowered my gun. I glanced over at Kaldur, who was staring at me incredulously. I scoffed and backed away, slinging my rifle easily over my shoulder and grabbing Tommy roughly by the shoulder, yanking him to his feet.

"Let's go, Terror."

I pushed Tommy to our armored truck and shoved him inside, while Wilcox and Superman held off Cat Grant and a flurry of reporters. Once I was certain Terror number one was secure, I stepped out of the truck and signaled to the Kryptonian. He gave me a nod and ducked inside the warehouse to grab Terror number two. When both were secured, Batman brought them to a nearby League facility for 'booking', while Connor and M'gann were fingerprinted and processed at a local facility.

* * *

 _Belle Reve Parish_

 _September 16, 21:55 CDT_

I sat next to Wilcox as we made our way back to Belle Reve Penitentiary. Connor and M'gann sat to my right, Icicle Jr. and Freeze on my left. Freeze kept quiet and glared the entire trip. Jr. made flirty faces at 'Tuppence' much to her disgust. When he saw that he wasn't getting anywhere with her, he leaned across the way and whispered loudly to 'Tommy'.

"Dude. Dude! Your sister is _sweet_! How about you put in a good word for me?"

Connor rolled his eyes as Wilcox moved forward, slamming Jr. back into his seat with the butt of his rifle.

"Sit down! We're here. Welcome to Belle Reve."

We led the four of them out of the truck and brought them into the processing atrium. Waller stood over us on a small balcony along with an armed guard and a man I didn't recognize.

"I am the law of last resort. My name is Amanda Waller. I am not you mother, your maiden aunt, or your friend. I am your warden. And _you_ are my prisoners. The proprietary collars you wear are custom designed to inhibit your specific meta-abilities. No strength, no ice. In addition, the collars can and will be used to discipline inmates. A con who breaks the rules gets one warning." Waller drew a small remote from her pocket, and pressed a small button. Immediately, the collars that the four of them were wearing produced electric shocks. They fell to their knees screaming in pain and a few seconds later, Waller turned the collars off.

"If order has not been restored," Waller continued, "The next shock will render the offender unconscious. At the slightest hint of trouble, this facility goes into lockdown. Belle Reve's walls are thick enough to hold Superman. We know. We checked. No one's ever escaped Belle Reve. No one ever will." The stranger then coughed and pushed forward toward the edge of the balcony, gaining Waller's attention.

"Oh. This is Professor Hugo Strange. He _is_ your maiden aunt."

"Actually," Strange adjusted his tinted glasses, "I'm the prison psychiatrist. And I promise you a sincere attempt at rehabilitation."

"Because we know you types are all about... _sincerity._ " Waller finished, before nodding to us guards to escort the prisoners to their cells. I moved to escort M'gann and was joined by another woman guard. She gave me a quiet nod and we began to make our way to the women's wing.

 _"Connor, Kara, can you hear me?"_ M'gann asked telepathically.

 _"Yes, M'gann, I hear you."_ I responded as we headed to her cell.

 _"Yeah, but I thought the collars-"_ Connor replied genuinely surprised.

 _"Custom designed to inhibit Tuppence Terror's super strength, not my telepathy. But your strength is-"_

 _"Not at Superman's level. I get it."_

 _"Connor,"_ I cut in, _"That's not what she-"_

 _"Whatever."_ He grunted before going offline. The other guard and I brought M'gann to her cell, where Killer Frost was lounging on the top bunk.

 _"I'll be back tomorrow at 6 am, M'gann. Keep your head low until I get back."_ I instructed the Martian as the cell door closed.

 _"Understood. See you tomorrow."_

* * *

An hour later, I was changed into civvies, and trudging my way through the swamp near the penitentiary. The Bioship was supposed to stay in camouflage mode while we were undercover, but at my request, Kaldur made it visible when I told him I was on my way. Red Tornado was the one who met me when I first arrived.

"Greetings, Wildcat." The robot said, "Are Miss Martian and Superboy in position?"

"Yes. They're securely in their cells for the night, and M'gann established a telepathic link, allowing us to communicate." I reported, looking around the ship aimlessly, "Where's Aqualad?"

"He is at the helm. He requested that I send you to him to speak after you gave your report." Red replied, "I will report to Batman while the two of you speak."

I nodded and headed toward the bridge. Kaldur was waiting for me when I got there, his face stern, his eyes filled with concern.

"You wanted to talk?" I asked quietly. He nodded once, standing up and turning to face me.

"Yes. I was hoping to speak to you about what happened in the warehouse. The way you spoke to the Terror Twins."

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose, "What about it?"

"Something in you changed, Kara. I could see it in your eyes." He began, his voice unusually strained and quiet, "And it was terrifying."

My head snapped up to look at him, my false eyes growing wide. I opened my mouth to speak but he held up a hand, cutting me off.

" _I_ was terrified, Kara. Seeing you so angry, so... _violent_... I don't want you to lose control of yourself because you want your undercover work to be _too_ believable. I don't want to lose you to this mission." He took my hand in his and intertwined our fingers. I gazed up at him and cupped his cheek with my free hand.

"Kaldur," I started, turning to look out the window, "I never meant for you think that of me. I've spent years training for any mission that I've been assigned. I've studied the psychology, the behaviors of prison guards from all over the country. And the sense of power that comes with carrying that gun... it's intoxicating. It's a socio-psychological phenomenon and it proves the point that power corrupts absolutely."

I untangled our hands and walked to the window, shoving my hands into my jean pockets, "I'll do everything in my power to prevent myself from turning into that person you saw, but I can't guarantee that I'll be the same person you knew. Prison changes everyone, not just the prisoners, but the guards as well."

Kaldur wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, letting me lean back onto his chest. He leaned down and kissed my collarbone before trailing feather-light kisses up my neck to my jawline.

"Even if you aren't the same," he whispered in my ear, sending a chill down my spine, "My feelings for you will not change, Kara. That I can guarantee you."

I turned around in his arms, wrapping mine around his neck. I pulled his head down and our lips collided. We stood there, for how long, I don't know, but when we pulled apart, we both gasped for air.

"When do you have to return?" He asked me, panting slightly, setting his forehead against mine. I moved one of my hands to cup his cheek again.

"Not until the morning." I answered at a whisper.

"Stay?" He begged. I smiled widely and pecked him on the cheek.

"Well, I'm not going to say no when you ask like that." He began to lean in once more when my phone rang. I whipped it out turned it to speaker phone.

"You've got Grant." I announced.

"Kid. It's me." A gruff, Brooklyn voice responded on the other end. The voice of Ted Grant.

"Why are you calling me?" I pulled away from Kaldur, my voice becoming harsh and cold, "I thought you wanted to talk after Belle Reve."

"I did. But this can't wait any longer. I found your dad, Kara. Or, he found me, really. And he wants to see you."

I froze. My father had fallen after the radar when I was about 5 years old. I barely knew him, since he and my mother never married. As far as I had known, my father was dead. Clearly, I was wrong.

"You can't be serious, Ted." I replied shakily, "My father is dead, has been for over a decade."

"I'm not makin' this up, kid. He's alive and he wants to see his daughter. Any chance you can zeta to New York after your assignment?"

I sighed heavily and waited a moment before replying, "Yeah, sure. I can swing by when this is over. I'll call you."

I hung up and flopped down onto the floor, my head in my hands.

"Kara?" Kaldur kneeled down and set a hand on my shoulder. I choked back a sob. "Talk to me."

"My father has been presumed dead for eleven years. He disappeared when I was five. If he's been alive this whole time..."

I trailed off, tears burning at the corner of my eyes. I wasn't the type to burst into tears, but this... this was too much. Instantly, Kaldur pulled me close, letting me cry into his shoulder. I don't know how long I cried for, but I ultimately ended up falling asleep in his arms. It was peaceful, dreamless, and I knew that, at least for the night, I would be safe.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I'm just gonna stop putting it up.**

* * *

 _ **Homefront**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _September 22, 18:23 EDT_

Our undercover mission in Belle Reve was a success. Connor and M'gann were able to take down an attempted break-out while I was held captive with Waller and Strange. I got out unharmed, albeit a bit chilled, and relatively unchanged, much to Kaldur's relief. And not to my surprise, Connor and M'gann ended up becoming rather... close. As we left the prison, I saw them walking hand in hand, telling me that Connor finally began to reciprocate feelings for the Martian.

Now, back in the Cave, I was making my way to the hangar to say goodbye to Connor, M'gann, Kaldur and Wally before taking a zeta tube to Brooklyn. Wally was fixing Connor's bike with a bit of help from M'gann, while Kaldur and the clone watched. Connor must've heard me coming because he looked up at me as soon as I entered the hangar.

"You heading out?" He asked. The others turned to look at me, Sphere included. I nodded and checked my watch.

"To Brooklyn. I just wanted to make sure you guys didn't need me for anything."

"We're all set, beautiful," Wally said, brushing the dust off his suit as he stood up, "Go. Have fun."

I glanced over at Kaldur, who nodded in agreement. As I turned to leave, I could feel the ground beneath me start to rumble. I stopped. That was when time seemed to move in slow motion.

An explosion erupted from the bay doors, sending us all flying backwards. I was a bit dazed and my ears were ringing, but aside from that I was okay. The five of us charged toward the source of the blast, but Connor, Wally and I were stopped by hands down the biggest tidal wave I've ever seen. Water filled my lungs and stung my nose and eyes as I struggled toward the surface. Above me, I could see a flash of orange and gold. Fire. From another explosion, I couldn't be sure. The lack of oxygen became unbearable as my lungs began to burn, making it even harder for me to push myself to the surface. Only a few more inches and I would be in the clear. My muscles screamed and my eyes began to grow heavy. I tried to scream for help. Help from Kaldur, from Connor, from anyone. But water flooded my throat, making my lungs burn even more. Darkness started to obscure my vision until it finally consumed me, leaving me suspended only an inch away from the air above.

* * *

I snapped out of unconsciousness soaking wet, with a loud and sharp gasp. My chest was still burning and taking such a sudden breath made it hurt even more. I coughed wetly and spit up the water that remained in my lungs as my vision began to focus itself. I was stuck to a wall next to the Sphere. My arms and legs held in place by twisted metal braces. In front of me, I could see Wally and Connor trapped in the same type of metal, completely inhibiting their ability to move.

"Kara! Thank God, you're okay!" Wally exclaimed when he saw that I had woken up, "For a while, we thought you had stopped breathing."

"Wally," I croaked, my voice sounding raw and strained, "Connor, where are the others?"

"Up on the main floor." Connor answered, concern lightly apparent in his voice, "They're trapped in some kind of cage made of fire."

Well, this day was going just great. I was strung up like a crucifix and my boyfriend was being roasted alive. Not to mention the fact that I essentially stood my father up. A metallic clanking sound, reminiscent of Red Tornado's footsteps, began to interrupt us. Had Red Tornado returned from the Watchtower to help us? Surely, a security breach would have been detected by the Watchtower... right?

But it wasn't Red Tornado. But it was a Red robot. Two of them to be exact, one with a male build and one female. The male robot lifted his hand and a small rush of water began to flood the floor, while the other, I assumed due to my lack of visibility, increased the strength of the flames containing Kaldur and M'gann.

"Attention, Robin. Attention, Artemis." The male robot said over the intercom, in a voice that matched Red Tornado's. I had completely forgotten. Robin and Artemis were coming to the Cave after school today. I breathed a soft sigh of relief. If they could send for help, we would probably make it out of this alive. "You have ten minutes to surrender or the lives of your teammates will be extinguished."

The Red then raised his hand again and the water rose with it, creeping up to waist level. The robot then disappeared beneath the water.

A few moments later, Rob and Artemis emerged from the rising water, which was now level with my chest. They both looked relieved to see the three of us alive, but were unable to say anything before Wally cried, "Look out!"

Several blasts of fire were being thrown their way by the other Red. They dove beneath the water and resurfaced next to Wally and Connor.

"You guys okay?" Rob asked.

"Forget us! Help M'gann!" Connor yelled, looking at the flaming cage above us.

"Aqualad!" Artemis called, "Is she-"

"She is unconscious. I fear that she-, _we_ cannot survive much longer."

My heart sank into the pit of my stomach as another ball of flames sent Robin and Artemis beneath the surface once more. A chilling thought entered my mind. What if they didn't survive? If M'gann was already unconscious, Kaldur wouldn't be too far behind. Losing them... losing _him_... I don't know what I would do with myself.

I was brought out of my daze by Robin's voice in my ear. He must have opened a comm channel, between himself, Wally and me, because I could see Wally was looking over at me and giving me a slight nod.

"Of course! They're machines! And one electromagnetic pulse will shut down any machine within range."

"Great!" I could hear Artemis reply, "Except you better have an EMP emitter in your utility belt, because I know I don't have one in my quiver."

"I'm fresh out. But I'm betting we can make one. What do you say, guys? Doable?"

"Totally doable." Wally answered.

"Five minutes." The robot announced.

"Doable if you had more time that is." I added glumly.

"Ignore that sad sap." Wally said. I scowled at him as he continued, "I'll walk you through it. Get to the med lab."

Being in the vents must have allowed the two of them to take a few shortcuts, because they were in the med lab within seconds. Wally continued to instruct Rob on creating an EMP emitter.

"X-ray machine. You'll find a small vacuum tube called a vircator that converts high energy pulses. Reprogram the unit's microwave conversion from X-rays to EMPs, with a cascading energy vector directed outward."

"A ripple effect. Like dropping a stone in a pond." Robin replied.

"Brilliant, Wally. Really, I'm impressed!" I exclaimed with a grin.

"My brain is almost as beautiful as my face, Kara. Can't believe it took you this long to realize it." The speedster sighed with a large smile.

"Guys! We need to get to the main generator in the hangar, can you distract the Reds?" Robin asked over the comm. Wally, Connor and I all shared a smirk.

"No problem, Bird Boy." I answered as the water level rose to my neck.

* * *

"Four minutes."

"Ok, make with the distraction."

"Hey, Red Tomato! Who's your girlfriend? Red Onion?" Wally shouted as loud as he could, drawing the robots away from M'gann and Kaldur.

"Yeah! And by the way, worst death trap ever!" Connor joined in. "We could escape anytime we wanted!"

"I can vibrate my molecules out of here before your binary brains can count to two!" Wally continued as I laughed loudly, ignoring the slight burn in my chest.

"Don't forget, I can contort my body to slip out of these bonds in seconds! You tin men made it way too easy!" I snarked.

"And you can't drown a Kryptonian, dumb bots," Connor added, "We don't breath air!"

"Ha, ha, ha!" Wally and I cackled as metallic footsteps above me indicated that our captors were watching us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Robin perched on the Cave's main generator. Something was stumping him. He needed more time. I did my best to gesture to the guys, silently telling them to keep talking.

"And Miss Martian? I can't believe you're buying her act!" Wally jeered at the machines.

"Yeah! You know how hot it gets in the caves of Mars? That cage is just making her homesick!"

"Robin, LOOK OUT!" Artemis screamed. A wave of water swept him up before he could react. Our plan didn't work. I could see that Robin was now suspended in a large wave, clearly unconscious. And from the silence that followed, I guessed that Artemis had gotten away. She was our last chance. My only fear was, given the way she was raised, would she even come back for us?

* * *

"One minute."

This was it. Wally, Connor and I were going to drown. As the water level slid toward my lips, I took one final breath and closed my eyes. But then something amazing happened. The water began to recede. The three of us all took relieved breaths as the water disappeared down into a nearby pool.

"Kaldur!" Connor called breathily, "How's M'gann?"

"She breathes." I let out a heavy sigh at the sound of his voice, happy to hear that both he and M'gann were okay.

"What about Robin?" I asked, my voice still strained.

"H-he's breathing too." Artemis replied.

"Thank God." I muttered to myself before calling out to the others, "Get down here and help us out then. My arms are getting sore."

After a slow descent, the four of them joined us, the two powered down Reds in tow. As Robin explained the details of what had happened with the EMP emitter, Artemis found a laser drill that could cut those of us still stuck out.

"Figured my only shot was to 'surrender'. Pretend to drown before I actually did. Blacked out though." Robin finished his story as Connor gently took M'gann's hand in his. She murmured something to him that I couldn't distinguish, but I'm sure it was something to reassure him that she was okay.

"Kara." Kaldur's soft voice snagged my attention. He had released M'gann, who had regained enough strength to stand on her own, and was now standing in front of me.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine." I answered his unspoken question with a small smile that faded as quickly as it had appeared, "I'm more concerned about you. Are you okay?"

"A bit tired and weak, but unharmed." He replied, reaching up to brush a loose strand of hair out of my face.

"Will you quit playing with that thing and cut us free already?" Wally asked Artemis, clearly irritated.

"It's not working, genius." She retorted sarcastically, "EMP shuts down all machines, remember?"

"All machines present at the time." A new voice added. Red Tornado had finally made it back from the Watchtower. He landed in the center of our little circle and looked around at all of us.

"What has occurred?"

"Had a little visit from your family." Robin replied.

"Your extremely _nasty_ family!" Artemis added maliciously.

"I was not aware I had relations." RT admitted, striding over to the metal corpses nearby.

"Where have you been?" Connor asked.

"Monitor duty on the Watchtower. When it became clear Cave communications were down, I attempted to investigate, but your zeta tubes were also nonfunctional. I transported to Providence and proceeded here." Red explained. A loud crash next to me, followed by the familiar sound of Sphere's 'talking' and an unexpected blast from the laser drill indicated that the pulse had worn off finally.

I looked over to see RT leaning over one of the other robots. As he reached out to touch it, his eyes began to glow a sinister red.

"Oh shit." I said as RT turned toward us and raised his hand. A vortex began to form around us, sucking away our oxygen supply. Kaldur grasped at his throat and sank to his knees as I gasped for air. Once again, my vision began to blur before fading into a never-ending black.

* * *

"Kara? Kara, wake up. Come on, kid. Wake up." A familiar voice faded in and out as I struggled to open my eyes. Several blurred figures were scattered in front of me, the one that I was talking to me was a pale, silvery shape. I blinked a few times, took a few ragged breaths and let my vision settle, watching as the silver blob turned into Captain Atom. I was no longer hanging on the wall; instead, I was sitting on the floor, my back pressed against the cold metal where I was being displayed not long ago.

"She's okay, Canary. Just a little dizzy is all." Cap called out to my mentor, who was speaking to Connor. Both he and Wally were still stuck in metal. Dinah looked over at me and visibly relaxed when she saw I was awake. The Nuclear Man extended a hand to me which I accepted, standing slowly and using the wall for additional support.

"Thanks for cutting me out, Cap. And for waking me up." I thanked him. He smiled and set a hand on my shoulder.

"No problem, kid. Just glad you're okay." I gave him a reassuring nod before he turned and went to get Wally and Conner out of their trap. When I got a better look at who was in the hangar, the lack of a certain someone made my heart stop. Actually, it was the lack of three someones.

Red Tornado and his siblings were gone.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey y'all! So I know it's taken me a while to update this story, but I'm also working on a new fic that I'm super excited about! So, if you're a Star Wars fan, check out the first two chapters of my newest fic, The Edge.**

* * *

 _ **Alpha Male**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _September 23, 06:34 EDT_

I was running on fumes. After Red Tornado's apparent betrayal, sleep was the least of my concerns. We sat in silence at a table that the League had set up for us in the mission room while Kaldur spoke with Batman. Oliver was attempting to ease the tension by offering us snacks.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Wally shoved a bowl of pretzels back toward Ollie.

"Yeah, what we want are answers." Robin continued, "About Red Tornado and his siblings."

"Exactly!" Oliver removed the snacks from the table, but as he turned to walk away, Wally stopped him, "Leave the bowl."

GA smiled softly and handed the snack to the speedster, who immediately began shoving pretzels in his mouth. A small smirk graced my lips as I glanced over at my boyfriend, still conversing with the Dark Knight.

"YOU KNEW!?" Connor shouted suddenly, pinning Kaldur to the Cave wall, "That android and his maniac family nearly killed M'gann!"

M'gann and I immediately rushed over, the Martian to try and calm her boyfriend, me to pry him off of Kaldur.

"Connor, what are you doing?" M'gann asked in shock. I strode quietly up to the clone and found a pressure point on his neck, forcing him to release Kaldur and glare at me.

"Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!" I froze. What? No, no that was impossible. He wouldn't keep that from us... he wouldn't keep that from me...

But he did; it was written all over his face.

"You knew?" Robin asked angrily.

"You didn't tell us?" I asked with equal ferocity. Kaldur hadn't expected us to find out about a mole, that much was clear.

"I only sought to protect the Team from-" Kaldur tried to explain, but was cut off by Artemis.

"From what? Knowledge that could've saved our lives?"

"You almost died!" Connor pointed out to M'gann.

"Enough." Batman silenced us all immediately. We turned to face him, a scowl now present on my face, my arms crossed over my chest. Flanking the Dark Knight was Black Canary, Green Arrow, and to my surprise, Captain Marvel.

"With Red Tornado... missing, the Team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."

Marvel took a step closer to us with a friendly smile, "I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys."

Next to me, I could hear Connor growling to Kaldur.

"After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are-"

"Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League. That makes him a _League_ responsibility. You _will_ leave him to us." Batman ordered sternly. For a moment, Connor hesitated, but then begrudgingly backed off. Batman continued, "I have another assignment for this team."

Several newspaper articles, most of them from Gotham, showed the city's mayor, Hamilton Hill, covered in bandages and bruises. A large headline from the _Gotham Truth Rag_ read-

"Gotham Mayor Attacked by Guerilla Gorilla?" Wally read aloud, clearly unimpressed.

"Batman, please!" Robin complained, "Tell me you're not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase."

"I _never_ joke about the mission." Batman seethed, causing his protégé to back down, "I've checked the sources. I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents. Aqualad, you and your team will depart for India and check this out."

We all nodded and began to make our way to the hangar. Behind me, I could hear Wally scoff quietly, "Hmph, _your_ team."

* * *

I veered to change quickly before boarding the Bioship; it would be a long flight to India, I could tape my hands on the way there. Right now, that seemed to be the better option compared to talking with-

"Kara." Dammit. I turned around, anger clear on my face, to see Kaldur standing a few feet away from me. I continued placing the final few pieces of my body armor on while I spoke, my cowl hanging around my neck.

"What?" I snapped.

"I know you're upset with me. But please, you need to understand-" He took a few steps forward and tried to take my hand in his, but I pulled away. Now that I was fully dressed, I holstered the Glock 21 that I hadn't used since the Ivo encounter (hey, there's something scary stuff in India, you never know) and grabbed my roll of athletic tape, before slipping past him.

"I understand perfectly. And if you can't trust us... if you can't trust _me_... then what's the point of trying?" As I headed for the door, a pair of hands grabbed my hips and spun me around. I tried to turn back around, but his grip on me only tightened. A pair of lips collided with mine before I had the chance to argue. I wanted so badly to simply stand there, give no response to his gesture. But I couldn't. Unlike our kisses in the past, this one was heated, passionate and, to my chagrin, brief.

"Don't ever believe that I don't trust you, Kara." He whispered against my lips, sending a chill up my spine.

"Then why?" I asked in a similar whisper, "Why didn't you tell me? You didn't think _I_ was the mole, did you?"

"No. I never believed it to be you." He replied, slinking one arm around my waist, cupping my cheek with his other, "But I couldn't investigate the matter with the entire team knowing."

It made sense. Telling everyone that there was a mole would make everyone turn on each other, no one would be able to be trusted. I leaned up, pressing a quick kiss to his lips, before a grin spread on my face.

"I understand. And I'm sorry for how I acted."

"Don't be. I should have told you." He admitted, leading me toward the hangar and linking our hands.

"Who tipped you off?" I asked, my curiosity now peaked. He sighed and squeezed my hand gently.

"Sportsmaster. When Red Arrow and I were in Taipei." My jaw dropped. Sportsmaster? Again?

"You can't be serious. Does Roy know?" I asked quietly as we neared the Bioship. Our hands fell away from each other when we caught sight of Robin and Wally talking to Captain Marvel.

"Yes. He does." Kaldur replied. With that, I separated from him, following Captain Marvel onto the Bioship.

"Are you going with us, Cap?" I asked with a grin.

"Sure am. It'll be fun!" Marvel answered with a nod. I gave him an acknowledging nod, before sitting down next to Artemis. My smile faded quickly when I felt the tension hanging above us. Something told me that this mission would be anything but fun.

* * *

 _Northern India_

 _September 23, 21:36 IST_

When we arrived, the first thing that happened was a brief scouting of the surrounding area. Once Rob and Artemis gave the all clear, the rest of us joined them, Kaldur, Artemis, M'gann and Wally all switching to stealth mode.

"We need to review mission parameters." Kaldur began to instruct us. But he was cut off by Wally.

"Parameters? We don't need no stinkin' parameters."

"It's recon. We know what to do." Robin continued. The two of them then turned to leave.

"Kid, Robin." Kaldur tried to call them back, but they turned on him.

"We started this Team because the League was keeping secrets from us." The Boy Wonder snapped. I cringed a bit, thinking of how right he was.

"Or did you forget, like you forgot to tell us about the mole?" Wally sneered. The two of them then turned and disappeared into the jungle without waiting for a response. A few moments of silence followed before Connor took M'gann's arm.

"Come on. I'll protect you."

M'gann glared up at the Kryptonian, most likely scolding him telepathically, judging by the surprised look on his face.

"I... just want to protect you." He sputtered. M'gann pulled her arm away, her glare still strong.

"Like how Aqualad protected us?" Artemis shot at the clone, "I don't think your patronizing is good for our health. You coming, Wildcat?"

The archer and the Martian were looking at me now. I hesitated for a moment, but decided that it might be better to go with the girls. I nodded and followed them as they headed toward a nearby river.

When enough distance had been put between the three of us and the others, we stopped walking to talk. I leaned up against a tree, my arms crossed over my chest, watching the river roll on in front of me.

"So..." Artemis started, "You and Kaldur?"

My heart stopped. Artemis was staring right at me, a smirk on her face. Thank God my cowl was on, otherwise my face would have given me away.

"What do you mean?" I recovered quickly, trying to play off her accusation.

"Don't play dumb, Kara. I've seen the two of you sneaking off for weeks. So fess up."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose and squeezing my eyes shut. Artemis wasn't going to back down, and I was _not_ in the mood to strike up an argument with a girl who could skewer me faster than I could pin her down.

"Alright. Fine. We've been seeing each other since the Bialya mission. It just sort of... happened, I guess. I'm happy that it did, though. I know you guys are mad at him and I totally get it. But-"

"You don't need to explain yourself, Kara." M'gann interrupted, a small smile gracing her lips. "We understand."

Artemis was smiling too, softer than her usual lopsided smirk. I sighed again, this time a sigh of relief.

"Just don't tell anyone else. Canary would have my head if she found out I was seeing Kaldur without her knowing." I said as the three of us began to walk along the river's edge again.

"Your secret's safe with us." M'gann replied, setting a hand on my shoulder as we walked.

"Although, you might wanna work on your sneaking around. If I've noticed, the Bird Boy's probably noticed too." Artemis pointed out.

"Great. Just what I need. A 13-year old who can't keep his mouth shut." I groaned, making the others laugh. As we continued talking, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something rise out of the water. But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished beneath the surface. I shrugged it off as a water snake coming up for air or something. Big mistake.

Two seconds later, a pair of massive crocodiles sprang from the water. One of them began chasing after M'gann and I while the other grabbed Artemis by her quiver. The archer was dragged underwater and I could see the croc starting to barrel roll.

"M'gann! Help Artemis! I'll take care of this guy!" I barked. The Martian nodded before disappearing into the river. I hoisted myself up a nearby tree to get a better angle on the beast. It was three times the size of a normal crocodile and I could see some similarities between the croc and the Mammoth creature we fought on Santa Prisca. Kobra Venom. Of course. But there was something else. Something was clasped around the croc's neck and it looked surprisingly familiar. It was an inhibitor collar, similar to the one's that M'gann and Connor wore when they went undercover in Belle Reve.

Carefully, I drew my Glock and aimed for the collar. A loud bang rang out through the jungle as a bullet struck the collar; pieces fell to the ground and the croc seemed to snap out of some sort of trance before slipping back into the river and swimming away. A loud rush of water and a bit of hacking came from a bit further down the river, where Artemis and M'gann had been fighting their croc.

"You guys okay?" I shouted while I holstered the pistol.

"Yeah. But nearly drowning two nights in a row isn't as fun as you would think." Artemis shouted back. A lopsided grin tugged at the corner of my mouth as I jogged over to them and began to help the archer up the bank. M'gann floated down next to us, Artemis' quiver and bow in her hands. The blonde thanked her and slung the quiver onto her back.

"M'gann, send a message to Kaldur. Tell him about the crocodiles and tell him that they were enhanced with Kobra Venom."

M'gann nodded, bringing a hand to her temple, her eyes glowing faint green. After a moment, M'gann's voice entered my head.

 _"Link established."_

Artemis glanced over at me briefly, as though she were asking permission to still be mad at Kaldur. I gave her a nod and a scowl immediately formed on her face.

 _"Should you really still be giving us orders?"_ She looked over at M'gann, _"And should you really be following them?"_

 _"Listen, please."_ Kaldur practically begged for the others to listen.

 _"Oh, good. Aqualad's voice in my head."_ Kid Flash chimed in sarcastically, _"I've_ so _missed that."_

 _"Hey, Kaldur!"_ Robin practically spat his name, if that was even possible in a telepathic conversation, _"KF and I were attacked by giant vultures 'Course since we're moles you probably think we attacked ourselves."_

 _"If he did, he wouldn't tell you."_ Artemis snorted.

 _"Superboy, are you online or just pouting?"_ M'gann asked her boyfriend.

 _"Busy. Call back later."_ Can't say I'm surprised by that response, he was probably letting off steam against a few Kobra critters.

 _"What gets me is how nonchalant he is about not telling us."_ Wally continued to fan the flames.

 _"He should be chalant. Way chalant. Extremely chalant!"_

 _"How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his secrets?"_ Artemis pointed out.

 _"Or if Connor doesn't trust us to take care of ourselves?"_ M'gann added.

 _"Did he really think that you or I could've been the mole?"_

 _"We've known each other for years!"_

 _"Trust is a two way street and you know they'd hate it if we kept secrets from them."_

 _"Not that we'd do that."_

 _"Never."_

 _"Enough."_ Kaldur commanded, silencing everyone else, _"Captain Marvel has been captured. And we need to act as a_ team _to save him."  
_

 _"Under_ your _leadership? I don't think-"_ Wally tried to argue, but Kaldur cut him off.

 _"This is not up for debate. You all chose me to lead. When the mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will happily step down. But until that time, I am in command here."_

A few moments of silence passed before I finally spoke up, _"We'll meet you at your coordinates."_

* * *

After a couple hours of searching, we had located a compound. We hid in the brush surrounding the building, waiting in physical silence.

 _"I'll fly over, survey the area."_ M'gann suggested telepathically.

 _"Negatory. There's a force field surrounding the building like a dome. Pylons are insulated but one good shock could cause a momentary gap."_ Wally observed, using the infrared vision on his goggles.

 _"I see a target."_ Artemis already her sights set on a fuse box. I flexed my hands and crouched lower, ready to move at a moment's notice.

 _"Everyone get ready. We only have one shot at this."_

Kaldur rushed forward, until he reached the edge of the force field. His tattoos lit up as he placed his hands up to the field. A few bolts of lightning erupted around the field while Wally watched for an opening.

 _"Now!"_ There was a THWANG! from an arrow being loosed and within the next moment, the field was down. We all stepped out from the brush and began to jog toward the compound. I met Kaldur first at the main doors.

"Nicely done, Leader." I said quietly, setting a hand on Kaldur's shoulder. He opened his mouth to reply, but with the others falling in behind us, he decided not to say anything.

"We'll talk later." I suggested as a screech cut through the air above us. We looked up to see a macaque wearing an inhibitor collar, alerting his entire group of our presence. They leapt off a ledge and began to charge us.

"Remove their collars!" Kaldur yelled as he tore an inhibitor collar of the neck of one of the macaques.

"Easy when he says it!" Rob muttered next to me, a macaque on top of him. I grabbed the collar from behind and yanked it off for the Boy Wonder.

"Thanks, Cat."

"You owe me one, Rob." I replied, moving to take the collars off the remaining macaques. As we were finishing off the monkeys, a roar came from the shadows surrounding us followed by a fit of growling. I turned to face the source, which was in fact, a gorilla with a machine gun. It raised its large hand and grabbed something out of the air, which I soon realized was M'gann in camouflage mode, and slammed her into the ground. The ape aimed its machine gun at the Martian, but Wally heroically stepped in.

"Get your hands off her, you darn, dirty ape!" He shouted as he sped toward the gorilla, who batted him away like an annoying fly. The rest of us managed to duck into the compound, which was actually more of a laboratory. Up ahead, I saw an Indian tiger trapped under a set of pylons, Captain Marvel restrained by an inhibitor collar, and his captor who was no longer a secret and was now joined by our ape friend.

"It's the Brain!" Wally declared, obviously surprised.

"Ugh, I see it's a brain." Artemis sassed the speedster.

"Not _a_ brain, _the_ Brain!"

"In the flesh, so to speak. Mallah." The gorilla pulled out a remote, pressed a button and a second set of pylons surrounded us. They turned on and we all collapsed, unable to move.

 _"Miss Martian, Superboy, now!"_ Kaldur instructed over our still active telepathic link. M'gann mentally called the remote in Mallah's hand to her, while Connor burst through a nearby wall, a large, Kobra-enhanced white wolf next to him. M'gann shut off the pylons and we went to work taking down Mallah.

I saw Kaldur remove Captain Marvel's collar, and he in turn removed a collar from the tiger. With all of us now ganging up on Mallah and the Brain it was obvious who had the upper hand. Mallah roared in frustration, while Connor cracked his knuckles.

"Try it. I hate monkeys."

"No, Mallah." The Brain stopped his companion from attacking, "This will not be our Waterloo. Au revior, mes amis."

The Brain suddenly turned himself into this kinda doomsday device looking thing. And it looked like it was going to go off.

"Get down! Everyone down!" Wally yelled. We all ducked down, our arms shielding our faces as the lights in the lab went out. But the normal, gigantic, super-destructive blast that usually comes with a doomsday device never came. Instead, the lights came back on.

"So... that weapon was a light switch?" I asked, looking around for the Brain, finding that both he and Mallah had vanished.

* * *

It seemed that the tension between the Team had vanished by the time we returned to the Bioship. Everyone was conversing with each other as though our little spat prior to our arrival in India had never happened. As Cap, Kaldur, Robin and I watched the Indian tiger, whom Marvel affectionately named Mr. Tawny disappear into the jungle, I noticed that the white wolf that helped us was sticking around, clearly bonded with Connor.

Kaldur and I moved to board the Bioship, but we stopped when Rob blocked our path.

"Look, I've gotta know. Why did you keep the mole intel a secret?"

Kaldur looked over to me and I gave him a small nod.

"The source of the tip was Sportsmaster."

"What?! You can't trust _him_!" Artemis said, slightly defensive.

"I do not. It seemed possible, even likely, that he was attempting to divide the Team with false information."

"And given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded." Robin sighed.

"But you couldn't rule out the possibility that he was telling the truth." I added.

Kaldur nodded, "I didn't want to alert a possible traitor."

"I hate to say it, but it does make sense." Robin said resigned.

"I am still prepared to step down."

"All in favor of keeping Aqualad as our leader?" Everyone raised their hand as soon as Wally proposed the motion.

"Guess it's unanimous." Captain Marvel strode over to Kaldur and shook his hand before turning and preparing to take off, "See you tomorrow."

"Not coming back with us, Cap?" I asked as everyone else boarded the Bioship.

"Sorry, Wildcat, but I gotta fly!" Before I could respond, he took off, leaving Kaldur and I alone. He turned to join the others, but before he could reach the ship, I grabbed his shoulder and turned him around to face me.

"Kara-" I cut him off with a quick kiss. When we broke apart, I pressed my forehead to his.

"We can talk later, when we're alone. I just wanted you to know that I'm proud of you, Kaldur."


	15. Chapter 15

_**Revelation**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _October 1, 18:13 EDT_

It was a slow day today. Not much had happened since our trip to India, which was a relief to me. After the Red fiasco, we needed a break. And to make things even better, this was the week that Zatara had offered to be our quote unquote 'den mother'. Right now, he, Captain Marvel and I were observing a sparring session between Kaldur and Robin.

"Honestly, I think you should consider bringing Zatanna to the Cave. Even if it's just a visit. I think she'd love it, and the Team would love to meet her." I pleaded to the sorcerer. He was extremely overprotective of his daughter, which was understandable, but still.

"I will think about it, Kara. For now, let's focus on the training session." He replied, placing a gloved hand on my shoulder. I smiled as I focused my gaze on the sparring session in front of me.

"Watch your spacing, Robin!" I called out as the Boy Wonder landed neatly off a backflip. I quickly realized that the two of them were evenly matched and that their fight would have to end in a draw. I was about to call off the fight, but the two of them stopped on their own when Connor, M'gann and Wolf walked in. The former pair whispered a few things to each other while Wally and Artemis entered the mission room, but they stopped when the speedster began to complain.

"So if Zatara's our babysitter for the week, why's he still here?" He asked, pointing at Marvel, "And why is he eating my snacks?"

"Maybe because you hide them in the most obvious places." I jeered as Batman entered the Cave.

" _Recognized: Batman, zero-two._ "

"Computer, National News." The Dark Knight wasted no time in directing our attention to the Cave's main computer. A large holo-screen appeared in front of us, with Cat Grant reporting.

"The initial attack was short-lived. But Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve." A large, clearly mutant plant creature was attacking Metropolis on a scale unlike any I had ever seen. The Hawks, John Stewart and Superman were all working to take down the creature and put civilians out of harm's way. "And despite the intervention of Superman and the Justice League, there seems to be no end in sight."

"Should we get out there?" Robin asked his mentor. Batman turned away from the news report and faced us, his face even more stern than usual.

"No. The League will soon have the situation under control, that's not why I'm here. According to your intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus' Blockbuster formula to Kobra."

"Who combined it with Bane's Venom to create Kobra Venom." Wally continued.

"Which The Brain used to upgrade his animal army." Robin added.

"Upgraded Wolf too." Connor scratched his companion under his chin, making his stark yellow eyes close.

"The Brain also used inhibitor collars, like the ones used at Belle Reve Penitentiary." M'gann finished.

"Batman," Artemis looked as though she were afraid to hear the answer to her upcoming question, "Is it possible that plant-thingy is on Kobra Venom too?"

 _No doubt about it,_ I thought to myself.

"I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis. The vines cellulose does contain trace amounts of a Kobra Venom variant." Batman pulled up the results from John's analysis for us to see.

"These cannot be coincidences." Kaldur concluded, his face almost as stern as Batman's.

"No, they can't." I finally piped up, stepping forward to observe the Kobra Venom variant, "It's obvious that supervillains are finally deciding to team up and form their own sort of... secret society."

Batman nodded, "The attack on Metropolis was only the beginning."

"Got that right." Robin said, having pulled up a holopad. He pulled up multiple news reports from around the world, all of them involving plant creatures.

"Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham City, Paris, Star City, Taipei-"

The screens suddenly cut to snow.

"Dude-" Wally nudged Robin gently as the latter began trying to solve the problem, while I slunk back to stand next to Kaldur.

"It's not me. Someone's cutting the satellite signal. _All_ satellite signals."

I looked back up at the screen to suddenly see something I thought I'd never see. The Joker, as smiley as ever, was on screen. He rapped on the lens of the camera he was in front of before beginning to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen," His voice was just as creepy as he was, "We interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you this important announcement..."

He turned the camera away from himself to point at six more big bads, "...from the _In_ justice League."

The man in the center of the group, who I recognized quickly as Count Vertigo, spoke next.

"We are responsible for the attack on your cities." Kaldur suddenly took my hand in his, not taking his eyes off the holo-screens.

"If you wish to save them, a ransom of ten billion American dollars is required. Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit. But, the longer your governments wait-"

Clown-face focused the camera back on himself, "The more we get to have our... jollies."

A sharp, psychotic cackle sounded from his lips as the screens once again cut to snow. Batman pressed two fingers to his comm.

"Roger that, Aquaman, the UN will prepare the ransom as a fallback. But it won't come to that." I gave Kaldur's hand a gentle squeeze which he returned as Robin rewound the Injustice League's announcement, before pausing on their group photo. He began to run a recognition software.

"Count Vertigo, the Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra Humanite , Atomic Skull, Black Adam, Wotan, _seven_ heavy hitters! Probably behind nearly everything and everyone we've faced."

"There's your secret society."

"Not so secret anymore." Artemis pointed out.

"Perhaps after India, they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer." Kaldur suggested. Wally and Artemis turned to face us, our hands were still linked, but I didn't try to hide it. I mean, come on, it was becoming exhausting. Artemis didn't react, considering how she already knew, but Wally seemed to take no notice of it.

"Yeah? That was their mistake! Right now, I say we go kick some plant creature butt!" Wally looked ready for some action, and I couldn't blame him. This was big.

"The Justice League will handle the plants." Batman cut in, "I have a different job for this team."

"Oh, man." Wally muttered under his breath. Artemis swatted him on the arm.

"With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission is to destroy it."

"You do realize what you're really asking them to do?" Zatara asked his friend, shocked that the Dark Knight would assign us to this mission.

"They're ready."

"Ready? Ready for what?" Wally asked obliviously. Artemis rolled her eyes and swatted Wally on the arm again.

"Ow! Will you cut that-"

"Hello, Wally! If the big guns are fighting the plants, who do you think _we'll_ be fighting?" She asked, trying to make it as obvious as possible. He still didn't get it.

"I don't know. I guess we'll-" Artemis jabbed a finger at the photo of the Injustice League while I facepalmed with my free hand.

"Ohh."

Zatara sighed and turned to Batman, "Well, I trust you are correct."

"I trust that _you_ can locate the enemy." He replied.

"Indeed." The magic-user nodded, "Wotan's involvement suggests sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled. Robin, if you would provide a holo-map, I'll search for signs of concentrated sorcerous activity."

A global holo-map appeared in front of us, while Zatara placed his hands in front him, palms directed at the map and began to recite a spell.

"Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!" The map froze and a red dot appeared in the southern US.

"There. That is where you'll find the Injustice League's central control system."

"Coordinates locked. The Louisiana Bayou." Robin typed the coordinates into his wrist comm.

"We are on our way." Kaldur released my hand and together with the others, we took off to change into our uniforms.

* * *

Once we were changed, we all met in the hangar bay to board the Bioship. Artemis, M'gann and I beat the guys there but we didn't have to wait very long. I noticed that as Kaldur approached the Bioship, he was carrying a ark duffel bag. Was that the ransom? No. That duffel was too small to carry ten billion dollars. Everyone else boarded, but I stopped Kaldur for a moment.

"What is that?" I pointed a taped finger at the duffel. He avoided my gaze, fixating it on the floor of the hangar.

"A contingency plan." He responded, not wanting to give me a direct answer. I stepped forward and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at me.

"Kaldur, I thought we discussed this. No more secrets, no more lies. So, I'll ask again. What's in the duffel bag?" I kept my voice quiet and controlled. At first Kaldur's pale green eyes widened at my mini-interrogation. But then he sighed and unzipped the bag. I released him and looked down. I clasped a hand over my mouth to muffle my gasp.

"Kaldur…" I whispered, "You can't. You know what'll happen if..."

"I know, Kara." He set the duffel down and cupped my face in both hands, before pressing his lips to mine.

"I trust that it will not come to that. But if it does..." I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say, but in the split second before he said it, I realized that I wasn't ready to hear it. Not yet at least.

"Kaldur." I stopped him, my voice now dropping to a whisper, "Don't say it. Not yet."

"Then when? Kara-"

"You'll know. But right now, when we're about to charge into battle against seven of the worst villains in the world, this isn't the time." I continued to whisper, pressing my forehead to his.

"I understand. As long as you know it, that is enough for me."

"Then let's go. We have work to do." I said at a normal volume, dragging him onto the Bioship.

* * *

 _Bayou Bartholomew_

 _18:52 CDT_

The ride to Louisiana was even more tense than our trip to India. Thankfully, it wasn't for the same reason. I sat next to Kaldur, my taped hand resting on the Glock holstered on my belt. I had also equipped myself with a rebreather, a hunting knife and several spare bullet clips. Prior to our little trip, I had attached a new cowl to my suit, a gift from Oliver and Dinah for my birthday, that masked my entire face. I had been waiting for the right time to use it and this was as good a time as any.

I drew my mask over my face and flexed my fingers, studying the claws that rested at the tips of my fingers. They felt like they were begging for a fight, and so was I.

"Nice mask, Cat." Robin commented at me. I glanced over at him, smirking even though my mask hid it.

"Thought I'd try out a new look." I replied with a small shrug, "Might even keep it if I live through this whole ordeal."

"Whoa, bit of a downer don't you think?" Wally gaped. I looked down at the duffel bag by Kaldur's feet briefly before turning to look out at the Louisiana Bayou ahead of us.

"What's in the duffel?" The speedster asked quietly.

"Plan B." Kaldur replied shortly before M'gann suddenly clutched her head and groaned.

"You okay?" I asked. It wasn't like M'gann to suddenly get a headache.

"Fine. Just dizzy." She replied quietly.

"Martians get airsick?" Robin asked her, only half-joking.

"She does look a bit greener than usual." Wally observed, making me roll my eyes.

"Not me, her."

"I feel fine." Artemis looked over at M'gann with confusion.

"Same here." I added.

"Not you guys," M'gann clarified, "The Bioship. She's trying to shield us but-"

Something crashed into the Bioship, sending us plummeting toward the swamps. Once we hit the water, plant creatures sprouted up and wrapped themselves around the Bioship, pulling us under, while above us, Black Adam ripped a hole in the roof. M'gann clutched her head in pain again.

"He's hurting her," She exclaimed. Connor scowled, leapt up and sucker punched Adam, sending him flying backwards. The plants continued to pull us down, the gaping hole in the ship's roof now gushing water. I pulled out my rebreather, lifted the bottom of my mask and shoved it into my mouth. Robin did the same thing and dove under the rising water.

"No. No way I'm nearly drowning three missions in a row." Artemis proclaimed as she pulled out two rebreathers and handed one to Wally. I dove underwater to join the others and was followed by both Wally and Artemis. M'gann lowered herself to our level and opened a hatch in the bottom of the Bioship.

 _"Out! Everyone out!"_ Kaldur ordered telepathically. We all did as instructed, surfacing on the nearby Louisiana shore. I spit my rebreather out and tucked it away on my belt before slipping my mask back over my mouth. As soon as everyone was on shore though, we were all brought to our knees by a high pitch frequency. A figure stepped in front of us, a man, wearing boots and a cloak.

"Vertigo." Wally croaked angrily.

"That's _Count_ Vertigo to you, peasant." The Vlatavan spat. I tried to reach for my pistol, but the pain that was surging through my head overtook me. Connor lunged toward Vertigo, but was stopped by Adam. Meanwhile, Kaldur drew his water bearers, pulling water from the swamp and sending it full force toward Vertigo.

 _"Wildcat, Robin, Miss Martian, disappear. The rest of us will keep them busy. You three fulfill the mission objective."_ Kaldur instructed psychically. M'gann went into camouflage mode, while Robin and I silently fled into the nearby woods. Once again I found myself trudging through the Louisiana swamp as Rob, M'gann and I made our way to the control center in silence.

By the time we reached the edge of the wooded swamp, the grunts and shouts from the fight between the Injustice League and the rest of the Team had faded away to nothing but the sound of our feet sloshing through mud and muck. M'gann, still in camouflage mode, stopped us before we could step into the clearing.

 _"I've lost contact with Aqualad and the others. Should we-?"_

 _"No."_ I cut her off, _"We need to do this. The League is spread thin, they can't keep the plants at bay for long. So let's take this control center down and get back to the others."_

Rob studied the Injustice League HQ quietly, a large plant extended through the roof, covering most of the building it was housed in, _"Looks like that plant is acting like an antenna to control the other plants worldwide."_

 _"Then let's blow it-"_

"Well, hello-" Someone spoke behind us. We all turned to see a very angry Poison Ivy standing there, but before we could move, vines sprouted at our feet, wrapping themselves around us and suspending us above the ground. Ultra Humanite emerged from the shadows aiming a blaster toward us.

"And goodbye."

Just as the super-intelligent ape was about to pull the trigger, M'gann used her telepathy to point the weapon at the vines, setting us free. Robin and I took off toward the central control system, the Boy Wonder handing me two handfuls of charges as we took off.

 _"I'll distract her! You and M'gann need to blow that plant!"_ He instructed.

 _"On it."_

* * *

As I snuck toward the top of the domed building, I saw that Wotan, Black Adam and Vertigo had trapped the others in a cage of mystic energy. I wanted to help bust them out, but I was already halfway up the roof. Charges first, then friends.

 _"Robin, Wildcat, she's made contact."_ M'gann called out to us.

 _"Artemis?"_

 _"No."_

The Bioship knocked Wotan off balance, causing the cage he had created to disappear. Everyone trapped inside fell to the ground, where Ultra Humanite and Ivy were waiting. I continued to make my way up the dome, where I was joined by M'gann and Rob. We set the charges while the Injustice League was distracted. By the time they realized where we were, it was too late. In a matter of seconds, the massive, towering plant was reduced to smoldering debris.

The three of us stood on top of the dome, overlooking the fight, smug looks on both mine and the Boy Wonder's faces, though mine was hidden by my mask.

"Timber." Robin muttered. Ivy screamed in anger, sending vines toward us, but M'gann tore them apart before they could come close to us. Out of nowhere, a beam of light struck M'gann down. Robin and I turned to see Atomic Skull and the Joker on top of the dome.

"Children? Children foiled our plan?" The latter asked no one as Rob and I dodged Skull's attacks, "Inconceivable, unacceptable, retributionable!"

Okay, now he was just making up words.

 _"Rob, go for the Joker, I'll take Skull!"_ I shouted over the link. He nodded and cut past Skull, causing the villain to turn away long enough for me to land a solid hit on his jaw. He went flying backwards, sliding off the edge of the dome and to the ground below. I leapt down and lunged at Skull, but I was stopped when a bolt of white light struck me midway. Not far off I saw M'gann summoning the Bioship, with Kaldur standing over her. When the Bioship reached them, something dropped down through a hatch and into Kaldur's hand. The duffel bag. He opened it and pulled out the Helmet of Fate.

"No." I called quietly, my eyes growing wide. "NO!"

Wotan had stopped his attack, allowing me rush toward Kaldur. Wally tried to stop him too, but was stopped himself by Black Adam, who sent him flying into a tree. I continued to run toward Kaldur, to stop him from making the biggest mistake he could've made. But I wasn't fast enough. He slipped the helmet on and in a flash of golden light, Kaldur was Dr. Fate. He flew up to face Wotan, while the fight on the ground began again.

A surge of both anger and fear coursed through me as I turned to face Atomic Skull again. I lunged for a second time, roaring as I began to slash at Skull with my steel claws. I was able to corner him, but before I could deliver a final blow, I heard a familiar voice. Zatara's voice. Skull and I both looked up to see that the League had arrived. The Injustice League backed into each other now surrounded by both the League and the Team.

"It's over." Batman declared. Six villains held their hands up in surrender.

"There will be another day." Vertigo replied.

"Another day? ANOTHER DAY?" The Joker asked maniacally, "There won't be another day! Not for any of us!"

The madman raised his hands, laughing psychotically. Plants sprouted around us releasing a malicious, green gas from its spores.

"Joker Venom spores! Nobody breathe!" A voice I didn't recognize yelled. A large, black cat-like creature leapt in front of the Joker and nailed him in the jaw, knocking him unconscious.

"Fear not!" Above us, Kaldur/Dr. Fate summoned a large, golden ankh, which drew the Joker Venom away from us until it had completely disappeared. "Fate has intervened!"

* * *

When the Injustice League was finally tied up, Wally with his arm in a makeshift sling, marched angrily toward Kaldur, who was still wearing the Helmet of Fate.

"What were you thinking!" He yelled at M'gann, "How could you let him put on the helmet? Nabu will never release him now. Kaldur will be trapped inside Dr. Fate forever."

My heart broke at the thought and I turned my head away from Kaldur to look at the ground. Silently, I begged for Kent to do something, anything that would convince Nabu to release him. A few moments of silence passed before a flash of gold caught the corner of my eye. I turned to see not Dr. Fate, but Kaldur standing before us. I pulled my mask off, revealing my entire face, before rushing to embrace him. There was no point in hiding it anymore. The others, except for maybe Wally would have figured it out by then and I didn't really give a damn about what Dinah would say in that moment.

"He let you go." I whispered.

"Thanks to your friend, Kent." He whispered back, his grip tightening around me ever so slightly, before he released me. I turned to see the others looking at us with knowing smiles.

"About time you two went public." Rob smirked. I laughed quietly, before looking past him to see the cat creature who stopped the Joker earlier. He seemed familiar in a way I couldn't quite describe. He took notice of my gaze and started toward me, with Dinah, Oliver and Roy not far behind.

"I was wondering when you'd finally notice me. Thought you forgot I was around, kid. Kinda like you did a few weeks ago." He said, a slight Brooklyn accent coming off his lips. I remembered who he was immediately.

"Dad." I breathed, loud enough for everyone to hear. He gave me a toothy grin.

"It's good to see you, Kara. You've grown so much." I didn't know what to do, what to say. My dad was there, not even five feet in front of me. I stood stiff as he wrapped his fur-covered arms around me.

"You're a cat." I commented into his chest, making him chuckle deeply.

"A 'were-cat' as your grandfather described it. I can explain everything to you later." He released me and set a paw-like hand on my shoulder, "But for now, go with your team. I'll be in touch."

He nodded over to Batman, who nodded back.

"We're done here." The Dark Knight told us, "The super villain secret society has been neutralized. And as for your performance... it was satisfactory."

We all smiled lightly, despite being exhausted, banged up and covered in mud.

"Head back to the Cave, get cleaned up and get some rest." Batman instructed us before leading the League away to deal with the Injustice League. M'gann called the Bioship over and we began to board. As I stepped inside, I felt Kaldur link his hand with mine.

No more secrets.


	16. Authors Note

**GREETINGS! Yes, I'm alive. And I have a request for all of you. First and foremost, I am not done with this story, not by a long shot. Life has simply taken up too much of my time, as has my work trying to establish The Edge. I will have a new chapter for Wildcat by Christmas. In the meantime, I'm looking for a new cover photo for this story. Having no artistic abilities myself, I'm calling upon you, the readers, for a bit of a contest. The parameters are as follows:**

 **To be eligible for this contest, you must at least:**

 **Have left at least one review for Wildcat (Feedback keeps me inspired)**

 **Have an active Fanfiction account (So I can properly announce a winner)**

 **Submit a link to your entry to me in a PM**

 **The winner will be announced on January 1st.**

 **As always, thank you all for reading and being so supportive of my work. I can't wait to see your art!**

 **Regards,**

 **H. J. H.**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: What's up, my dudes? Been a while hasn't it?**

* * *

 _ **Humanity**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _October 10, 16:58 EDT_

In the days following the Injustice League's attack, I fell under the scrutiny of Dinah for my no longer secret relationship with Kaldur. I was subject to multiple interrogations (How long has this been going on? Why didn't you tell me? How could you not tell me? The list goes on.), only to be rescued by Oliver and Roy, who finally convinced her to get off my back. That didn't stop her from watching my every move during her week as den mother at the Cave though.

I wouldn't say it out loud, but on her last day as den mother, I was internally rejoicing. Not being able to kiss my boyfriend for a week was getting on my nerves. Luckily, the vast amount of sparring we had been doing helped me vent. Today, I was working with Connor on his close contact fighting.

"Remember, stay light on your feet. You like to ground yourself a lot, but in close contact, you can't linger too much in one place. You have to constantly be on the move." I reminded him. He nodded and got into a fighting stance, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet, ready for my move. I swung at him heavily, but he dodged it easily. He stepped forward, sending several short jabs my way. Most of them I blocked, but a few made contact. He was fast, that was for sure. He pushed me back to the edge of the training platform, almost making me collide with the chair that Wally was sitting in. I evaded his last jab, ducking under his arm to expose his back. I raised my foot and shoved it into the small of his back, sending him to the ground.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. But as piece of advice, I would avoid putting someone like me in a corner like that. Experienced fighters will tend to use a corner to their own advantage." I offered a hand and helped Connor stand, "Your footwork was way better that time though. Nice adjustment."

He smiled, "I have a good teacher."

I smiled back up at him gratefully. Connor was becoming a great friend of mine over the course of our time on the Team. It was hard to believe that only three months ago he was nothing more than a science project.

"Good work, everyone!" Canary called out to the six of us who were able to fight, "In fact, it's been a very productive week."

"Yeah, for everyone except Kid Malingerer." Artemis nodded toward Wally who was still lounging in his chair, a glass of pineapple juice in his hand.

"Hey! Arm broken in combat against the Injustice League here!" He pointed to his broken arm. Behind us, Canary laughed softly.

"I've really enjoyed being your den mother this week."

"It's been great having you around for the week." I stated, "Everyone's improved. Except... you know... Wally."

Everyone but the redhead laughed.

"That's just mean, Kara." He pouted.

 _"Recognized: Zatara, one-one."_ Zatara emerged from a zeta tube and immediately went to working typing away at a holopad.

 _"Access granted. Zatanna Zatara, A-zero-three. Authorization: Zatara, one-one."_

A girl about Robin's age stepped into the Cave quietly. She looked uncertain at first, but her expression lightened when she saw me.

"Glad you could make it, Z." I smiled and went to hug her.

"Oh my god, Kara! I haven't seen you in months! It's so good to see you." She replied, returning my hug.

"Team, this is my daughter, Zatanna." Zatara explained to the others. I released her and we faced the Team together. M'gann flew over to introduce herself, but was cut off by Robin.

"I- I'm Robin. Uh," He turned to face everyone else, "And that's Megan, Wally, Artemis, Kaldur and Connor."

"Welcome to the Cave." Kaldur said.

"Thanks." Zatanna replied shyly.

"So, uh, a-are you joining the Team?" Rob asked, a bit too excitedly. The thought, 'Oh, he's got it bad,' echoed in my mind.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Zatara cut in, "This is strictly a visit."

The sorcerer turned to my mentor, "Though I am sorry we missed the training-"

 _"Does anyone else get the idea that we're still on probation with Zatara?"_ M'gann asked, establishing a psychic link.

 _"Not just Zatara. I mean, why is Marvel still hanging around?"_ Connor asked.

 _"Because we like having him around."_ Wally pointed out, an almost smug look on his face.

 _"_ You _like having him around because he waits on you hand and foot."_ Artemis shot back.

 _"And your point is?"_

 _"I have to admit, I miss RT. At least we had some freedom when he was our supervisor."_ I interjected, _"He trusted us."  
_

 _"Yeah, but that doesn't excuse the fact that we shouldn't have trusted him. He was a traitor! That machine nearly got M-, all of us killed!"_ Connor argued.

"Are you guys having a psychic conversation?" Shit. Zatanna. We all looked over at her in shock, BC and Zatara included.

"'Cause I don't know if that's cool, or really rude." The two Leaguers stared at us, before I finally caved. Canary's 'mom glare' is my one true weakness.

"Alright. We were talking about Red Tornado. The League hasn't told us anything about their search since he went missing. We deserve to know what's going on."

"The League is still searching for Tornado along with the other androids who attacked the Cave and their creator, T.O. Morrow. Batman's made tracking them down our highest priority." Canary tried to assure us. It didn't work.

"But you've found none of the above." Robin pointed out.

"Not yet. But Tornado is Justice League. That makes him a _League_ responsibility. The Team is _not_ to pursue this." Canary snapped, her eyes drifting to me. I was infamous for finding loopholes in my superiors' orders, something I picked up from Roy.

"Why don't you all take Zatanna on a tour of the Cave?" Zatara suggested. We all turned to Zatanna, finding her snuggling with Wolf, who leapt up when he saw Captain Marvel return with a plate of nachos.

"You guys are giving a tour?" Marvel asked excitedly, "Cool!"

"Actually, I was hoping you could take Wolf outside. He needs the exercise, we'll join you in a few." Connor suggested to get Marvel off our backs. It worked.

"Sure, sure! I can do that, come on, Wolf!" Marvel took off with both Wolf and Wally's nachos.

"Wha- my nachos!" The speedster cried. Connor grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged him toward the group as we began to make our way to the hangar. Zatanna walked next to me and after a few moments, as I linked hands with Kaldur, I heard her mutter a clothing spell, changing her outfit from the modest attire she had on to something more comfortable.

She jogged toward the front of the group to speak with Kaldur, catching Robin's attention on the way.

"We're not really taking a tour, are we?"

"No. We're hunting down that robot." Connor answered for Kaldur.

"Yes, we are." He agreed.

"Oh, out loud and everything." Zatanna replied.

"What about new girl?" Artemis asked, jabbing a thumb at Zatanna.

"I'm sure she won't tell." Robin argued.

"I can't tell. Not if you kidnap me." A mischievous glint appeared in her light blue eyes. Artemis and I both smirked.

"She'll fit in just fine." I commented.

* * *

We were able to board the Bioship without any problem, but shortly after we left the hangar, Dinah called us.

"M'gann, the Bioship wasn't cleared to take off."

"We're kidnapping Zatanna!" She caught herself just in time, "To show her Happy Harbor."

"We won't be gone long, BC." I assured my mentor, my voice steady and relaxed as I lied through my teeth. There was a brief pause before a reply.

"Uh, roger that. Have fun."

"Okay, we have maybe 12 hours tops before Zatara sends a search party for us," I said as soon as BC was offline, "So, Boy Wonder, where do we start?"

Robin thought for a moment before giving an answer, "Well, Batman is the greatest detective in the world, and he's searched in every logical place. So we're gonna need an illogical plan to start. You know... a truly dumb idea."

The two of us dramatically turned to look at Wally. Everyone else followed our example, waiting to hear what Wally's 'truly dumb idea' was.

Wally crossed his arms over his chest and put on a proud face, "As a matter of fact, I do have an idea. Let's go to Belle Reve."

"Why would we need to go there?" Connor questioned.

"Because Ivo's there." Wally shrugged. I smiled as I realized what his plan was.

"He's smarter than he looks, guys. Seriously."

* * *

 _Belle Reve_

 _October 10, 18:32 CDT_

I readjusted my mask as I walked beside Hugo Strange through the halls of Belle Reve Penitentiary.

"Thanks again for allowing this, Warden Strange." I thanked Strange as the Team approached the interrogation room where Ivo was being held.

"It's no trouble at all, Wildcat. Although I must ask that you restrict your time to no more than five minutes. For the safety of our inmate, of course." Strange glanced over at Connor briefly.

I nodded, "I understand completely."

Strange opened the door to Ivo's interrogation room, allowing the eight of us to file in. Ivo sat chained to a small table, his hands folded, no expression clear on his face.

"This isn't a standard interrogation, we're on a schedule. Let me take the lead on this." I said quietly, before stepping forward to stand in front of Ivo. I silently set my hands on the table, allowing me to look down on Ivo.

"Long time no see, Anthony. I don't have long, so let's make this quick. We need your help." I started in a calm, quiet voice. Ivo looked up at me in question.

"We're looking for T.O. Morrow. Where is he?"

"Why would I know where Morrow is?" He asked smartly. I grabbed the collar of his prison orange and hoisted him onto the table.

"Because you and Morrow have been competing for the top spot in the android game for years. So the real question is, why _wouldn't_ you know where he is?" I growled.

A snarky grin formed on Ivo's face, "Fair point. But why should I tell you where he is? I have nothing to gain from sharing that information with you."

"He knows," Kaldur deduced before turning to M'gann, "Do what you must."

"No." I stopped M'gann as soon as she received the order from Kaldur, "Zatanna."

Z stepped forward and focused her gaze on Ivo. I released him and he slunk back into his chair.

"It won't be the first time I've faced a telepath." He snorted.

"She's not a telepath." I shot back. Zatanna set one hand on the table before speaking.

"Trulb tuo S'worrom eurt noitacol!"

"Morrow's in a secret underground base beneath Yellowstone National Park, one hundred meters south of Old Faithful." Ivo clapped his hands over his mouth as soon as he finished speaking. Everyone else had also been stunned into silence, with the exception of myself and Z.

Ivo sputtered, trying to get an explanation as to what we had just done, but I ushered everyone out of the room without a word, hoping to get to Yellowstone as soon as possible. Once we were on the Bioship, I leaned back in my seat, casually setting my feet up on the ship's dash.

"Block out all external communication. Soon, Canary, Batman too, I imagine, will know of our visit with Professor Ivo." Kaldur said as he sat beside me. I pulled my mask off and removed the comm from my ear, setting it in a compartment in my belt.

"Look, I'm trying to be all nonchalant here." Robin had turned to Zatanna, and was no doubt trying to question her about her powers.

"Why? Be as chalant as you like." Z flirted back, making a dopey grin appear on the Boy Wonder's face.

"I think we're just trying to get a handle on your powers." Artemis spoke for him, "Could you teleport us to Tornado? Or Morrow to a cell, or force his bots to surrender?"

"Or create peace on earth for all time?" Z replied, "Zatara couldn't even do that and I'm nowhere _near_ my dad's level. I need to know a spell cold or at least have time to prep it. Plus all magic requires energy which usually comes from within; I can't just make the impossible happen at will."

"How did your dad describe it to me, Z? Magic is only magic if it's used in an attempt to accomplish the impossible?" I asked her with a grin as I slid my mask back over my face.

She smiled slyly at me, "Something like that."

I started to laugh, but Connor cut me off with a growl.

"What's our ETA to Yellowstone? I'm _way_ past ready to stuff Tornado into a trash compactor."

"Are you so certain he betrayed us?" Kaldur asked calmly.

"Aren't you?" Connor shot back.

"I am not convinced. And even so, that makes him but the victim of his creator's programming." Kaldur replied, "Certainly, he deserves a chance to prove he's more than the _weapon_ others designed him to be."

Connor looked away, his fists tightening slightly as he did so. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he knew Kaldur was right.

* * *

We landed in Yellowstone a few minutes later. Everyone switched to stealth mode, and left the Bioship, but Kaldur and I stopped Zatanna at the ramp.

"I suggest you remain behind." Kaldur told her.

"Is that an order?"

"Of course not." I replied for Kaldur, "But remember that when you go out there, you're not training anymore."

She gave me a nod, "Good. I've been looking forward to this. Emit ot yrt tuo eht wen kool!"

Her outfit changed once again, this time to a uniform similar to her father's.

"Very nice." I smirked under my mask before leading both Zatanna and Kaldur off the Bioship.

We met up with everyone, and took off toward Old Faithful.

As we approached the geyser, I could feel the wind pick up and the earth beneath me shake ever so slightly. If I was a normal civilian, I would have simply disregarded both as being nothing more than a front moving in and the geyser preparing to erupt. But I was anything but normal. The wind became stronger the deeper into the park we got until it stopped us before what appeared to be a small mountain. We stopped while Robin scanned for a compound under the mountain.

"Ivo was right. There's definitely something down there." The Boy Wonder concluded. We began to push toward the mountain again, but were held off by several strong gales of wind. I looked up in the direction of the gales' origin and sure enough, there he was.

Rising slowly above the peak was none other than Red Tornado. The robot carried himself toward us aboard a red cyclone, which for whatever reason, suddenly made him much more intimidating than I remembered him being. With a simple raising of his hand, a wall of red cyclones surrounded us on all sides.

"Why, Tornado?" M'gann shouted up at him, "Why are you doing this?"

Then I saw it. Just behind him, carved into the earth, were the words 'Play Dead'. He was trying to save us.

 _"Message received."_ M'gann telepathically confirmed with all of us. With a small nod, Connor glared up at Red.

"Who cares why? Nail him!" He and I charged toward RT.

"Superboy, Maneuver 7!" I called out over the screaming winds. The clone surged ahead of me before turning on his heels and lacing his hands together. He leaned down as I approached, stepping into his cupped hands and lifted me upward toward Tornado. Good idea, right? No. Very much no. I ended up with a metallic fist in my face which resulted in a collision with Connor back on the ground. I could have bounced back up no problem (except, of course, the surging pain in my jaw) but we were going ahead with RT's plan. Connor and I remained sprawled out on the ground, pretending to have been struck so hard that it actually killed us.

One by one I heard the others 'fall' around me until we were all 'finished off'. The earth began to shake again. And then I heard a new voice. Deeper, more metallic than Tornado's and definitely not T.O. Morrow's.

"Quite a performance, brother. But we both know that's all it was. I have all your memories, Tornado, plus a next-gen processor. I know your next move before you do." Another Red robot? Seriously? How many did Morrow make?

"Blowing a message into the sand?" The new Red asked almost carelessly, as he lifted the slab of stone bearing the message into the air with a wave of his robotic hand. We all began to stand ourselves back up and amid the dust and wind, I was able to see this fourth Red robot. He was bulkier than the others, made of a darker red metal, but between his body plates, a stream of bright red light coursed through him like lava flowing down from a volcano. He hurled the stone toward us, but thanks to Kaldur and Connor, we were able to avoid being crushed.

 _"Zatanna?"_ Robin asked, concerned for his new crush's safety.

 _"I'm good. But Red Tornado's getting away!"_ We all looked up to see the robot flying away from the fight.

 _"Is he abandoning us?"_ Artemis shouted psychically as she notched an arrow in the direction of our Red Volcano friend.

 _"I don't believe that!"_ M'gann called back. Bless her heart, she was so optimistic. As she and Connor launched toward Volcano, I made my way to the stone pillar where the robot was standing. I pulled a charge from my belt, armed it and set it on the pillar before taking cover from the shrapnel that would follow the detonation. A large pair of rock hands extended from the ground slamming into Superboy and M'gann, causing them to crumple to the ground below. I looked around to see everyone else worn out, exhausted. We couldn't beat this thing. Hell, we couldn't even run it down.

I activated the charge and sent Red Volcano falling downward. Artemis loosed an arrow aimed at Volcano's head, but he caught it just inches before it struck him.

"Tornado's memory files and my superior processing speed allows me to anticipate your every move."

"Ekoms emoceb a dolbdnilb!" A wisp of black smoke wrapped around Volcano's eyes, catching him by surprise. I grinned lightly under my mask.

"Tornado never knew my moves." She smirked.

"And I bet you have some good ones." Robin grinned goofily at her, but it fell to a look of embarrassment when he realized what he had just said, "Sorry. That may have come off too Wally."

Z gave him a small giggle, "I don't mind."

"It's adorable what you two are doing." I cut in, "Really it is. But we're kinda in the middle of something right now."

Volcano tore through the smoke blindfold, his eyes flashing bright red. The ground beneath us shook as magma rushed down the sides of the mountain.

 _"Uh, guys."_ Wally's voice rang through my mind, _"He's activating a Stage 2 eruption. If it gets to Stage 3, we can kiss the hemisphere goodbye."_

 _"Hit him from all sides."_ Kaldur ordered.

"I've got an idea! Kid Flash, get ready." Zatanna set a hand on KF's shoulder as he got into a runner's set position, "Ekoms dna srorrim, etaerc Dik Hsalf snoisulli!"

Multiple Wally appeared in puffs of smoke and began to run toward Volcano.

"I use a scaled-down version whenever I want to sneak out of the house." Z explained. Volcano destroyed the false speedsters quickly before grabbing Wally by the throat. But before he could crush the speedsters windpipe, a rush of water struck the Red in the chest sending him barreling into a nearby pool of lava, dropping Wally as he fell.

"Nice hit!" Robin and I looked to Kaldur, who had a confused look on his face.

"The hit was not mine." He looked around for the source of the wave, surprise on his face when he found the origin. I followed his gaze and my jaw dropped. It was one of the Reds that attacked us in the Cave. A second wave of water rose behind him, lifting him into the air. He sent another rush of water at Red Volcano, keeping him from moving out of the lava pool. Above him, balls of fire flew from the hands of the second Red that attacked us. And to top it all off, Red Tornado flew in to save the day.

The three Reds converged on Volcano.

"Sister! Brothers! Stop this!" Volcano was shocked as the trio submerged him under the surface of molten rock, Tornado on his chest, the other two pulling Volcano under. A few moments passed before the ground began to shake again. Tornado began to sink beneath the surface, his metal body beginning to melt.

"Superboy! Grab Tornado!" Kaldur called out to the clone. Connor nodded and leapt over to the side of the mountain. Jumping over the lava pool, he grabbed Red with one hand, pulling him from the pool and setting him on the ground in front of us. His legs were almost gone, his cape burned halfway through. My guess was that his voice box was turned off because he remained silent the entire time, even when the mountain began to erupt in a cloud of ash and smoke.

"Tornado! Red Volcano has activated a Stage 3 super volcano eruption; it can't be reversed now. We need to vent the pressure building up in the mountain now! But the ash cloud will bring on a worldwide nuclear winter unless you divert it!" Wally went full-on science geek, instructing RT on how to save humanity; 'cause let's be honest, the human race would be destroyed, not the planet.

"Triangulate around the pressure locus!" Wally shouted toward Rob, how pulled a map of the mountain up on his wrist comm. He located the points in record time.

"There, there, and there!" Artemis nodded pulling a flare arrow from her quiver and loosing it with unrivaled accuracy. The three flares hit their exact targets, releasing a massive cloud of black volcanic ash into the sky.

"RT, now!" I yelled. Red lifted himself up into the air, far above the ash cloud and out of sight. Tense moments passed as Tornado funneled the ash and smoke into the upper atmosphere. Once the cloud had vanished, the magma spilling from the mountain began to cool and solidify. Wally pumped his fist in the air.

"Yes!"

Red Tornado began descend toward us on a red cyclone, but about ten feet from the ground, the cyclone disappeared, causing him to crash to the ground.

* * *

In Morrow's lab, we set RT onto a lab table and stepped back to let Robin and Wally work on repairing him. While they worked, I stepped away, glancing at the various blueprints that lined the walls. Morrow was truly a brilliant mind, it was a shame that it was an evil mind too.

"That should do it."

"Yes. I can speak again." Red's familiar voice echoed through the compound.

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save the planet." Kaldur spoke with admiration in his voice.

"The planet would have survived. It was humanity that was saved. Though not by me. My brother and sister are the true heroes this day." Red replied humbly.

"My point is this: you were never the mole. Never a traitor." Kaldur set a hand on RT's metallic shoulder.

"No. I left to protect you from further attack and to find my creator, Morrow."

"Cool." Wally called out, holding a large robotic hand that he had found, "Souvenir."

"Reddy, we can rebuild you. Better than you were before." Robin offered with a smile, but RT turned his head away.

"I do not believe I _should_ be repaired."

"Why did you volunteer to be our den mother anyway?" Connor asked, arms crossed over his chest, a soft glare on his face.

"I was the pragmatic choice. I do not require sleep. I have no secret identity or second life to live."

"But you do have some of the most advanced A.I. programming in the world. You were designed to learn, adapt and evolve." I added, smiling kindly under my mask.

"Hello, Megan. You wanted to be more human." M'gann grinned.

"And you couldn't do that with the League. They're stiffs." Artemis laughed lightly.

"You're definitely not gonna learn emotion from Batman." Rob gave a half-hearted chuckle, as though he knew his mentor was watching him, "Trust me."

"Then the Cave was not only a proving ground for us, but for you as well." Kaldur concluded.

"I do not know if these statements are accurate. But perhaps... they are true. And if I understand the term correctly, I have come to... care for all of you." My gaze softened at the Leaguer. And from what I saw, so did Connor's.

"See? Practically a meat bag already." He said with a small smile.


	18. Chapter 17

**Happy New Year, y'all. Hope it's as good as YJ: Outsiders is.**

* * *

 _ **Failsafe**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _October 16, 16:01 EDT_

Holy shit. That just happened. Almost half the League... gone in the blink of an eye. I didn't think I'd ever see it. But there it was. Right in front of us. Zatara appeared on the holo-screen, his face macabre.

"Tornado. Did you-?"

"Yes, Zatara. We saw." RT cut the sorcerer off, "Celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures."

"Affirmative. See you in the field." Zatara disappeared, along with the live feed of the League's failed defense. Red Tornado turned to us.

"I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs. But should we fail, the responsibility falls to you."

I steeled, my fists clenching. This wasn't a game. This was the end of the world. Kaldur looked around at all of us, before turning back to Tornado.

"We stand ready."

The robot nodded once before taking off, leaving us behind to wait in suspense. Robin turned the live feed back on, this time to watch the Central City feed. Iris West-Allen, Wally's aunt, was reporting as Flash and Zatara were trying to quell the invasion in Central City.

"This is Iris West-Allen reporting live. The extraterrestrials have brought their relentless global attack to Central City."

I stepped away, not wanting to see the destruction. There would be plenty of that later, when the League was finally dead. When the fate of the world rested upon our shoulders.

My feet led me to the hangar, which was empty with the exception of the Bioship. I stood in silence, thinking about the gravity of everything that was happening, but my thoughts were interrupted by a familiar face appearing on the screen of my watch.

Shaggy blonde hair, a few razor cuts covered with tissue paper on youthful cheeks and crystalline blue eyes all tied together with a smug expression. This was none other than John Constantine. He was my age, roguish and a lady's man like no other, but he was far more powerful than I could ever hope to be. His training in the mystic arts and supernatural was truly unparalleled. But excitement wasn't the first emotion to cross my mind. Rather it was discontent.

"Not like you to call, John." I snarled, "And I'm kind of in the middle of something so now isn't really the best time."

"Aw, c'mon, Kar. I know you be'er than that." John smirked, drawing a cigarette to his lips and lighting it with a silent incantation, "You want to know if there's anythin' I can do with this bloody invasion. The unfortunate answer is no. Even if I 'ad the proper spell, I'm not powerful enough to stop these critters."

"I figured as much, Constantine." I replied with an eye roll as I began to make my way back to the mission room, "Right now, I'm wondering why _you_ called _me._ "

John ran a hand through his messy hair and took a long drag, "You always were perceptive. One of the things I liked about you, love."

"We've been over this, John. You lost the right to call me that after you broke up with me."

"Old habits, Kar." He shrugged, before taking another drag of his cigarette, "I was worried you wouldn't pick up. You know, with you and your lot workin' for the Justice League now. I suppose I was worried 'bout you, in truth. I just hope that bloke you've been runnin' off with is keepin' you safe is all."

My expression softened a bit. Despite his rough exterior, John Constantine truly had a heart of gold.

"Considerin' 'ow more than 'alf the League is gone... I wanted to make sure you were alright."

I had since stepped back into the mission room, where the news feed had been taken offline and the others were geared up and ready to go. I glanced up briefly and looked back down, my face now stern.

"We're fine. For now, at least. We've received the call, John. We're headed into the field. If you can, help as many civs as you can. I'll keep in touch."

John hesitated for a moment, crushing out his cigarette, then he nodded, "Right. Go save the world, love. Constantine, out."

And then he was gone. Silence followed my conversation with my ex, at least until Artemis broke it, her arms crossed and her face smug.

"Who's Constantine?

I began to pull my mask over my face, a snarky grin drawn on my lips, "An old friend from overseas. Checking up on me as he usually does when there's an international crisis. Moving on to the more important subject, what's our plan? I'm assuming RT is... you know..."

"Yeah. He's gone." Robin looked down at his feet.

"And... so are all the others." Artemis said quietly. I hesitated for a moment. I should have broken down, I should have been bawling my eyes out. But I didn't. Instead, I steeled up, nodded my head stiffly and turned to Kaldur.

"Earth's weapons are ineffective. And it has been made tragically clear that a direct attack will not succeed." He began, his pale eyes riddled with a mixture of uncertainty and grief.

"Checking satellite imagery." Robin pulled up a holomap, a multitude of red dots scattered across the globe, concentrated on major cities for the most part, but relatively spread out. The map rotated, stopping when I noticed a stray dot at a familiar location in the Arctic Circle.

"Here's where the aliens are now."

"This one get lost?" Connor pointed to the stray ship.

I shook my head, "No. It's the Fortress of Solitude. Superman's secret sanctum."

"Superman has a Fortress of Solitude?" Connor asked, a bit hurt that he had been left unaware. Robin and I nodded.

"It's power source must have been enough to send a scout ship to investigate."

"Must be some fortress." The clone grumbled.

M'gann set a gentle hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off, "It's okay. I guess there's a lot about Superman I'll never know. You know, _now_."

"We will target this lone ship." Kaldur decided, his expression now determined, resolute.

"Yeah," Wally finally piped up, "Break it down. Build more. Hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo!"

He was getting a little too into this mission, which Artemis quelled with a punch to his lower back.

"Ow!"

"Martian and Kryptonian in the house." She pointed out. M'gann and Connor softly glared at Wally who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Uh, heh. Not that _all_ aliens are automatically ugly."

"Gear up. Polar stealth." I instructed, "We leave ASAP."

* * *

I had been eager to wear my polar stealth uniform since I received it from Batman. Everyone else had their own stealth gear for night work, but since I was already dressed for the part, I was the only one without it. Now, instead of black and charcoal, I wore shades of white, pale gray and blue. I turned to head to the hangar, but something... held me back, made me hesitant. Made me fear.

"We are all ready." Kaldur had appeared in front of me, switching his uniform from red to white. I immediately wrapped my arms around him and pressed my lips to his with a fervor that I had never felt before. He responded with as much passion, as much desire, and when we finally pulled away from each other, the look in his eyes held that same passion. I decided then. It was now or never.

"I love you." I whispered, loud enough for him to hear, "I may never have the chance to say it again. But I'm certain of it now. I love you, Kaldur'ahm."

He was stunned into silence for a moment. Clearly, a proclamation of love was not what he was expecting. But then... he began to smile. Pulling me closer, he pressed his lips to my brow, before resting his forehead on mine.

"And I love you, Kara Grant. More than you could ever know." We stood in blissful silence for a brief time, until Robin rang in over the comms.

"Robin to Aqualad. Everyone is ready."

"We are on our way."

* * *

 _Arctic Circle_

 _October 16, 18:07 EDT_

I crouched next to Artemis, waiting for M'gann to disable the scout ship that sat outside the Fortress of Solitude.

"So tell me the truth. Who's Constantine?" Artemis whispered, shutting her comm off in the process.

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" I groaned. She grinned wickedly and shook her head.

I sighed, "John Constantine. British sorcery prodigy, demonologist and my ex-boyfriend."

"Ah. Now _that_ is what I wanted to hear. But why was he contacting you?"

"Like I said in the Cave, he was checking on me. And making sure Kaldur was taking care of me."

"Aw, sounds like a sweet guy." Artemis smiled.

"Yeah. I think he'd like you." I nodded, a smile forming on my lips beneath my mask.

 _"Communications disabled."_ M'gann psychically interrupted our conversation.

A loud crash followed M'gann's announcement.

 _"Propulsion disabled."_

Artemis peered over the ice wall, notching a hardening foam arrow. She loosed it with ease, striking the ship's entryway and covering the front of the ship in red foam.

 _"And ETs are sealed inside!"_

What happened next seemed to pass in a blur. At first, everything seemed to be routine. We converged on the ship, and Robin, M'gann and Superboy went to work on removing the gun from the alien ship. Kaldur, Wally and Wolf kept the remaining defenses busy, but in the process, we lost our canine companion. We paused for a moment of honor, but then went right back to work. As M'gann began to attach the foreign gun to the Bioship, though, a second alien ship arrived, firing on us as it came to its comrade's aid.

 _"Miss Martian, open fire! NOW!"_ I yelled mentally as Artemis and I made our way to the Bioship.

 _"Can't. Weapon systems are offline to incorporate the new cannon. And that's not fully integrated either!"_ The Martian replied.

 _"Got you covered! Get inside!"_ I glanced over my shoulder to see that Artemis had turned back, firing explosive arrows at the oncoming ship. Her distraction must have worked, but M'gann's cry told me that it was temporary.

 _"Artemis, behind you!"_

I heard a blast, a scream and then suddenly, as if a bolt of lightning had struck me, I collapsed to the ground.

"ARTEMIS!" M'gann wailed. That meant only one thing. Artemis... she was gone. I blinked back tears and stood up carefully, seeing Kaldur appear at my side, destroying the second ship from a safe distance.

"Kara, get inside. Go!" He told me quietly. I nodded once and took off toward the Bioship, forcing myself not to look back. Everyone else was already on board, adrenaline still pumping through our veins, causing us to be unable to grieve. We did a drive-by pickup of Kaldur and headed into the upper atmosphere where we lingered out of sight from any alien ships. I ripped my mask off and threw it to the ground. I refused to wear it any longer. Tears began to spill out, I couldn't hold them back anymore. Behind me, I could hear M'gann sniffling. On my right, Wally pounded his fists against the dash, growling angrily to himself.

Kaldur sat on my left, but he sat closer than Wally, gripping my hand in his and allowing me to lean into him for support. He spoke to the others.

"There will be time to mourn later. Now, we have a job to do- defend the Earth and ensure Artemis' sacrifice was not in vain."

"Back to the Cave?" M'gann asked shakily.

"The Hall of Justice." I answered for Kaldur, finding my confidence and wiping my tears away. "The human race needs to know that there are still heroes defending them. That there's still hope."

* * *

 _Washington D.C._

 _October 16, 20:06, EDT_

The sky was the color of rust over Washington D.C., though it did in fact rival the color of blood. Below, members of the US Armed Forces were taking evasive action against oncoming alien ships. We, and by we I mean the Bioship, destroyed the few remaining ships with the new gun and landed in front of the Hall of Justice. I left my mask behind on the Bioship, descending the ramp with Kaldur. The soldiers that I saw looked weary, shell-shocked and hopeful. A battle-worn, five star general approached us, looking at Superboy, who was mumbling something about Superman.

"I don't know who you are, son, and right now, I don't care. You were the 'S' and you got the job done." The general turned to Kaldur and I.

"General Wade Eiling. US Air Force." He gave us a firm salute.

"Aqualad and Wildcat. Justice League." Kaldur's expression was stern, confident. The face of a true leader. "We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' cannons as possible. Then we will start taking back what is ours."

"If you don't mind, General." I cut in, "We need access to the Hall of Justice. And your troops can use it as a base of operations for the time being."

He nodded and stepped aside. We walked inside. What we saw was not the sleek and imposing homage to the founders of the League. Instead, there was nothing but rubble, hardly anything compared to what they once were. M'gann flew past us to the remains of her uncle's statue, where she fell to her knees in tears.

"They're really gone." Rob said sadly, the impact of what had transpired, finally catching up with all of us. I looked at my feet, realizing now that I would never see Ollie or Dinah again. It broke my heart. The shifting of rubble and rock drew my gaze away from the ground to see a shocking sight. Martian Manhunter was there.

"Uncle J'onn!" M'gann made to hug him, but Kaldur rushed in front of her, blocking her path.

 _"M'gann, check his mind. Make sure he is whom he appears to be."_

She did so quickly and smiled.

 _"It's him. He's real and he's alive!"_

* * *

Things only seemed to get worse. We were granted only a brief reprieve from the alien attack, but an armada of ships soon arrived, driving us back into the library. We were pressed between a wall of alien ships and the Hall's zeta tube with no way out. I drew my Glock, knowing full well that it wouldn't have any effect against the alien ships' defenses.

"We're trapped!" Wally shouted, dodging beams as fast as he could. He was starting to run on fumes, I could already see it.

"Maybe not. We can all zeta to the Cave, if you grant us computer clearance to access the tubes." Kaldur said to J'onn. I ducked behind a large shard of bronze that had blown through the library from the main atrium.

"I can only authorize one at a time." J'onn told us.

"Send the soldiers first." Kaldur instructed.

"Belay that! The seven of you are assets we cannot afford to lose!" Eiling replied, disregarding Kaldur's order. Manhunter nodded and stood in front of the zeta tube.

"Override. Martian Manhunter, zero-seven."

" _Recognized. Access granted._ "

" _Miss Martian, B zero-six... Robin, B zero-two... Kid Flash, B zero-four._ "

An explosion ripped through the library. Wally tried to turn and help, but Kaldur grabbed him and forced him through the zeta tube. Superboy came to the tube, carrying a wounded Marine.

"He goes next." The clone said firmly.

"Fine, then you." Kaldur nodded once, before moving J'onn out of the line of fire.

" _Private Jason Bard, USMC... Superboy, B_ zero-five."

"Kara! We have to go! NOW!" Kaldur yelled as J'onn passed through the zeta tube. I ran to meet him at the entrance.

"Go! The Team needs you!" I told him, tears stinging the back of my eyes.

"I will not leave you behind." He replied, grabbing my hand. But I had made my decision. This was it. I pulled my hand from his grasp and placed my finger on my trigger.

"You don't have a choice, love. I will not die on their terms. I'll die on my own." I pushed him to the entrance of the zeta tube and raised the pistol to my temple.

"I love you, Kaldur."

" _Aqualad, B_ zero-three."

"KARA DON'T!"

I pulled the trigger. And all I saw was darkness.

* * *

I awoke with a gasp, for a brief moment uncertain of where I was. I was in uniform, lying on a table in the Cave. My head spun like a top, so I lifted my self up slowly. I saw that the rest of the Team was just as groggy and confused as I was. Next to me, Kaldur sat on the edge of his table, looking sick to his stomach.

"What the hell happened?" I asked through gritted teeth, my head still pounding. Then it all came rushing back, all at once. I had killed myself. I should be dead. I ripped the Glock from its holster on my belt and threw it across the room.

"The exercise, it all went wrong." I turned to see Martian Manhunter struggling to stand, even with the help of Batman and Red Tornado.

"What exercise?" Robin asked.

"Try to remember." Batman began, "What you experienced was a _training_ exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you within an artificial reality. You all knew this going in. What you didn't know was that it was a train for failure exercise."

"So no matter what progress we made, the scenario would continue to get worse." I continued, earning a nod from the Dark Knight.

"Still, you were aware nothing was real, including the deaths of the entire Justice League"

"That is why you hardly grieved, even when Wolf disintegrated before your eyes." Manhunter explained, "But that all changed when Artemis died."

I glanced over at Artemis, whose gaze was glued to the floor. My heart began to sink.

"Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious could not make that distinction. She forgot it was an exercise and her subconscious took control, making you all forget too."

M'gann was shocked to say the very least, "I- I'm so sorry."

"This isn't her fault." Connor stepped in to defend her, "Why didn't you stop the exercise?"

"We tried." J'onn continued to explain, "But M'gann had a... death grip on the scenario. Even Artemis, who should have awakened upon her death, was so convinced she had passed, she slipped into a coma."

I huffed. This was more serious than I thought.

"I realized that I would have to wrest control from Miss Martian's subconscious from within. But upon entering the reality, I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was... too much noise to think clearly, to remember why I was there. When Wildcat killed herself-"

"You did what?" Batman asked, his voice mixed with a combination of anger and shock.

"I went out on my own terms. For the good of the Team." I said, my voice suddenly quiet and shaky, my gaze dull as I stared blankly in the direction I had thrown my pistol. I could feel everyone's gaze on me in that moment. It made me want to curl up and cry. "And I will never use a gun again. For any reason."

"After her death, followed by the deaths of Aqualad and Superboy, helped in restoring pieces of my memory. But only after the mothership exploded and Robin and Kid Flash were finally silenced did I recall my true purpose. To shock M'gann out of the exercise, before your comas became permanent. My apologies. I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous... so damaging..."

I finally stood and walked to the zeta tubes, leaving my mask behind on the table were I had layed.

"I need to be alone."

" _Recognized, Wildcat, B zero-one._ "


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: This chapter's a short one, just a filler. But there are some pretty good moments in this one!**

* * *

 _ **Disordered**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _October 23, 17:21 EDT_

I had kept my distance from everyone for the past week, Kaldur included. I didn't trust myself anymore, not after the way I handled the simulation. I remained out of uniform, off patrol, and locked in my room at Queen Manor. It took some intense coaxing from Ollie, Dinah and Roy to get me out to the Cave after a week of moping and even then I felt like I wasn't sure I wanted to be there. The Cave had been like a second home to me for months, but now, it just reminded me of my mistake. Of my gruesome and utterly selfish decision. I took the easy way out. I didn't die fighting the good fight in that simulation, I died a coward.

When I walked into the common area, I saw everyone either sitting or standing, almost as miserable as I was. No one looked up when I came in, except Kaldur. His expression was dark, sad, his eyes were so dull. I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. After what I did, killing myself right in front of him... I'm surprised he could even think to look at me. But to my surprise, he walked over to me and silently led me to the hangar.

"We need to talk." He said, his voice raw, as if he hadn't used it in several days. I sat on the hangar steps running a hand through my hair with a sigh. Kaldur sat next to me, taking my hand in his, "Kara-"

"I didn't do it with the intention of traumatizing." I cut him off, pulling my hand away and threading my fingers together, "I- I shot myself because I was taught to never let the bad guys take me. My grandfather, the man who trained me, told me that if I was to go out, I was to go out on my own terms."

I glanced hesitantly over at Kaldur, who was still looking at me. Something in his gaze changed, it was no longer dull, rather it was full of an emotion unlike any I had ever seen before.

"Kara." He unwound my hands, taking them both in his and forcing me to look at him, "My love. You did what you believed was the right thing to do. It doesn't make you any less of a hero than you were before. And it does not make me love you any less."

I couldn't stop the small smile from forming on my lips. Leave it to Kaldur to turn this shitty week around. I pulled him closer, pressing my lips to his, the smile never leaving my face. Time seemed to slow in that moment, it was as if we were the only two people on the planet.

"I love you." I whispered against his lips, before they captured mine again. My breath hitched as he hoisted me into his lap, a smile forming on his face at my surprise, but not breaking our kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling a sense of peace fall over me for the first time in days. It was gone as soon as it had arrived. I heard the sound of footsteps approaching us, reluctantly pulling my attention away.

"We should get back." I muttered, loud enough only for Kaldur to hear. He nodded in reluctant agreement. We stood together and were greeted by Connor and Wolf. The former had his helmet in hand and looked ready to tear someone's head off.

"Canary getting to you?" I asked. The clone nodded.

"She wants to see you next. Have fun." Connor jabbed a thumb in the direction of the common area as he walked toward his bike. I watched him carefully and realized what I had to do.

"Go on without me. I'll catch up." I said quietly. I jogged over to where Connor was, giving Wolf a quick scratch on the chin as I approached.

"Hey." I set a hand on Connor's shoulder, making him turn to glance at me, "I know BC can be tough to talk with, especially about what happened to us. But if you want someone who'll listen, just let me know. I won't counsel you, I promise."

He sighed and slid on his helmet, "Thanks. Maybe later."

I smiled and gave him a small nod before taking off back to the common room. When I arrived, Artemis and Dinah were just arriving from their chat.

"Perfect timing, Kara. It's your turn." My mentor offered a comforting smile, but I didn't return it. I wasn't looking forward to this.

* * *

I sat across from Dinah, in a room not far from the common room.

"Let's start with how you're feeling. Have you been having trouble sleeping at all?" She was hesitant to ask, I could hear it in her voice. I was never a fan of therapy and she knew it.

"I'd be concerned if I wasn't." I replied with a shrug, "Every time I shut my eyes I see that scene replaying over and over in my mind."

"What scene specifically?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, "I'd rather not say."

"Kara, if you're going to get past this you have to share what's plaguing your mind." She advised, giving me a mom look.

"I know. It's just..." I heaved a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose, "I can't get it out of my head. No matter how hard I try to. I- I shot myself, Dinah. I shot myself in the head right in front of Kaldur. How can I possibly move past that?"

My voice began to crack as tears filled my eyes. Dinah passed a box of tissues to me which I set on the arm of my chair.

"Why did you do it? There has to be a reason behind it."

"Ted taught me to never let the opponent take me down. He drilled it into my head. So when it came down to that, I took my own life instead of allowing them to take it." I answered almost robotically, "Meanwhile, everyone else died in the line of duty, in the fevered attempt to save the human race. I took the easy way out. I died a coward."

"Kara, you listen to me." Canary leaned forward, her blue eyes stern and caring, "You are _not_ a coward. You did what you thought was the right thing to do in a situation that would have killed you sooner or later. But that doesn't make you a coward. You are a _hero_. One of the best young heroes I've ever had the fortune to know. And you are going to do great things for this world."

I leaned back in my chair, a small chuckle escaping me, "That sounded almost motherly, Dinah. Don't tell me you've gone soft."

"Only in this room, Kara." She grinned, "But going back to our conversation, I only have one thing left to ask. After you 'died', Kaldur became unfocused and unable to lead the Team. What did you say to him before you died?"

I paused, recalling my final words in the simulation, "I told him I loved him and then I pulled the trigger."

Dinah sat pondering for a moment, then nodded and stood, motioning for me to do the same.

"He cares about you. A lot. And I don't think I've ever seen you as happy as you are with him."

"Does that mean you're gonna stop hounding us?" I asked with a glimmer of hope.

"Never."

We laughed, a real laugh this time. And together, we returned to the others.

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _October 23, 21:54 EDT_

Dinah and I were about to leave when Connor came running up to us at the zeta tubes.

"Kara, can we talk? You know... alone?" He glanced warily over at BC. I nodded.

"I'll meet you back in Star City. I promise I won't be long." I told my mentor. She smiled and nodded before disappearing through the zeta tube.

"We can go to the outcropping." I said, leading Connor to a remote part of the Cave I remembered from our first tour. Once there, I parked myself on the flattest rock I could find and waited for the clone to start.

He sighed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and staring out at the ocean scene in front of us. "Kaldur and I died together in the exercise. We were taking out the defenses of the alien mothership for a final attack. And... when I woke up, I felt... at ease. From the very moment I woke up in that Cadmus pod, I've only wanted and feared one thing: to know what it means to be Superman. And in that moment, when I died, saving humanity... I realized what it meant to be like him. So, I was... at peace. I was happy."

I didn't know what to say. So I just continued to listen.

"All of my friends traumatized or dead in that exercise, and I feel happy. How do I get past the guilt of that?" Connor finally turned to look at me. His crystal blue eyes waited for an answer.

"I don't have all the answers, Connor. But I do know one thing. Admitting this, admitting how you feel about this whole ordeal is a huge first step. And it's always the hardest one. I'm proud of you, Connor. You've come a long way from the clone we found in Cadmus." I stood and smiled at my friend, who for the first time that day smiled back. I spread out my arms and he rolled his eyes, but walked over and wrapped me in a bear hug regardless.

"Thanks, Kara. Don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd probably have killed Wally by now."

"Yeah, probably."


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: Another filler for ya, but it's got important info. Don't forget to review!**

* * *

 _ **Secrets**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _October 31, 20:15 ED_

I wasn't looking forward to this meeting. But when Batman asked me to be in attendance, I couldn't say no. So there I was, standing next to Roy, who, by the way, I hadn't seen since September, waiting for Batman to start.

"Computer, secure the room."

I heard locks click, followed by, " _Secured._ "

"I'll cut to it." Batman turned to myself, Roy, Kaldur, and Robin, "Do we believe there's a mole within the Team?"

"I am convinced there is none." Kaldur said calmly, "When Sportsmaster claimed he had an inside source, he was merely sowing dissent."

"His intel could have easily come by comparing notes with the other villains working for the Injustice League." Robin stretched out in the chair he was sitting in. I rolled my eyes.

"And honestly, if there had been a traitor among us, they would have betrayed us during our encounter with them." I pointed out. Roy sniffed unhappily.

"I'm not convinced. Sure, you three and Kid Flash are above suspicion, but I know Artemis isn't shooting straight. For starters, she's not Green Arrow's niece."

I narrowed my eyes. I didn't think Roy would try and dig into her life like that. Of course I was still aware of who she was, where she came from and evidently so was Robin. But Kaldur wasn't.

"What?"

"Well, yeah, in fact she's related to-"

"Don't." I cut the Boy Wonder off, "Regardless of who she is, she's still entitled to a secret identity, just like the rest of us."

"Wildcat's right." Batman agreed, "My concern is Superboy. We still know very little about what programming Cadmus installed into their weapon. Connor could be the mole and not know it."

"And what about Miss Martian?" Roy asked, "She _is_ Manhunter's niece, but he told Black Canary that he has a few hundred nieces and nephews. And the first time he met M'gann was five months ago when she stowed away on his last trip from Mars to Earth."

"This changes nothing." Kaldur stepped forward defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest, "I have fought side by side with these people. _None_ are traitors."

We all stayed silent for a minute or two, until Batman spoke up again.

"We'll continue to investigate this. Quietly. If anything seems out of place, contact the League immediately. But for now, this meeting is over. Computer, unlock the room."

" _Unlocked._ "

* * *

"So what do you say, Whiskers? Wanna go on patrol with me?" Roy asked as we, along with Kaldur and Robin, walked back to the mission room.

"Sounds good, but I'm gonna have to raincheck. I'm finally meeting up with my old man." I replied, tugging on a jacket as I walked toward the zeta tube. He nodded in understanding.

"Let me know. And tell Tom I said hi."

"I will, thanks Roy." I smiled.

" _Recognized, Wildcat, B zero-one._ "

I stepped out of the Louisville zeta tube and headed toward the address that my father had given me. I climbed up the fire escape of the apartment building my dad lived in silently and leapt onto the roof, where my father was already waiting.

"I'm glad you came, sweetheart. There's a lot we need to talk about." My dad was no longer in his 'were-cat' form, instead he was wearing a white t-shirt, a brown leather jacket and jeans. His hair was as black as the night sky and his eyes were sapphire blue.

"Then let's talk, Dad." I sat on the ledge, letting my legs swing over the side. My dad took a seat next to me.

"I suppose I should start with what happened when I disappeared. For the first 25 years of my life, I was completely unaware of my abilities. But when you were five, my abilities kicked in. I didn't know what was happening to me and I was so concerned that I would lose control of my... other half, that I left. I travelled the world, training with masters, learning to control my power. And I discovered that my abilities were passed down from my mother. Which means that you most likely possess some of the powers that I do."

"Like what?" I asked, "Am I gonna transform like you?"

"Possibly." My dad shrugged, "Though it's not a guarantee. But you're more likely to have the subtler abilities that I have. Accelerated healing rates. Heightened strength, speed and agility. Heightened senses of smell, touch, hearing and sight. You may even have retractable claws in your hands without the need to transform."

"That would be handy. Better than having to tape my hands before every mission."

"Then let's test it out, see if you can do it." My dad smiled, extending his hand to show me, "All you have to do is concentrate and-"

With a sharp 'SHING' three silver claws extended over his first knuckles.

"Now give it a try."

I held out my right hand and closed my eyes. I pictured the same claws unsheathing from my hand and after a sharp stinging sensation passed over my hand, I heard that metallic sound. I opened my eyes to see three claws like my father's extending several inches past my hand. I smiled.

"Well, would ya look at that? You're a prodigy, Kar. With a bit of practice, you'll be able to unsheathe and retract without a second thought."

I pictured the claws retracting into my hand and they obeyed, leaving behind three bloody wounds. My dad pulled a handkerchief from his coat and handed it to me. He continued to speak as I wrapped my hand up.

"There's something else I need to tell you, Kar. Something that I found out pretty recently." His tone became serious.

"You're not dying, are you?" I asked, worried. He shook his head.

"No, kiddo." He began to wring his hands, "While I was travelling, I had several affairs. Most of them, ended after one night. But I recently got a call, from a woman that I haven't spoken to in over a decade. It turns out... you have a half-sister."

"Y-you're serious?" I was shocked. And happy. And confused.

He nodded.

"Well, where is she? How old is she? Have you met her yet?"

"She's here. In Louisville. I'm taking her to live with me in Brooklyn, at her mother's request. She's just turned eleven. And no, I haven't met her yet. But I know her name is Allison. Allison Rae Grant. If you want, you can come with me. Meet your sister."

"Dad, I wish I could. But I have to head back to Star City. I promised Dinah and Oliver that I would be back by midnight. But give me a call sometime. I wouldn't mind coming out to meet her in Brooklyn."

"Of course. But before you go... who was the kid you were hugging after we arrested the Injustice League?" A sly grin spread across my dad's devilishly handsome face. I groaned.

"Daaad."

"Come on, tell your dad." He nudged my shoulder playfully.

"Fine." I growled, "That was Kaldur'ahm. He's Aqualad, Aquaman's protégé. And... he's my boyfriend."

My father laughed heartily, his blue eyes twinkling, "My little girl is all grown up! And hey, as long as he's treating you right, I approve. Though I would like to meet him face to face sometime. You know, it's a dad thing."

"Yeah, sure. Maybe some other time." I said, brushing off the awkward conversation. I looked down at my watch, it was almost eleven in Star City already. "Now I really have to go, Dad."

"Okay, Kara." He stood and helped me up, before pulling me into a hug. "Stay safe. Don't forget to call."

"I will. Love you, Dad."

"Love you too, sweetheart."


	21. Chapter 20

_**Misplaced**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _November 5, 19:47 EDT_

I had yet to inform my teammates of my newly discovered abilities. When asked about the bloody bandage, wrapped around my hand, I replied that I had accidentally punched a glass window while taking down a purse thief in Star City. Though now that I knew what my limits were, it was becoming more and more difficult to hide my powers. Today was no exception. I was helping M'gann and Connor unload crates from the Bioship after our shopping excursion for Batman. I had discovered that my strength was enhanced to that of three men, so lifting the heavy crates wasn't an issue.

"Did you get everything?" Batman asked us, he stood with Zatara, who had brought Zatanna along with him.

"Of course, Batman. Everything on your list." I replied setting one of the last crates down.

"Plus groceries." M'gann added. Wally sped over as soon as she mentioned food.

"Cookie fixins?" He asked with a child-like grin.

"Snickerdoodle."

"Babe, you rock my world." Connor and I rolled our eyes and went to work unloading the crates. Not far off, I heard Zatanna and Artemis enter the hangar. I barely began to use my heightened hearing and it was already driving me nuts. I hated eavesdropping on other peoples' conversations. My annoyance, however, turned to panic as I heard a box of groceries slam to the floor. I whipped around and to my horror, Batman, Zatara and Red Tornado were gone.

"Zatanna, what just happened?" I asked without a second thought. This was definitely magic related.

"I- I have no idea! I've never seen this happen before!" She said, just as shocked as I was.

"There has to be some sort of magic involved, right? Can't you sense it?" Artemis asked her, her voice surprisingly steady.

"I can try, just give me a minute." Zatanna shut her eyes and slowed her breathing for a moment. When her eyes opened again, they were wide with concern, "I felt it. There's a lot of magic interference going around. This can't be the work of just one sorcerer."

"Well for the time being, we should investigate further." I suggested, feeling the sudden urge to take the lead on this, "Check all social media outlets, our hometowns, including Atlantis and report back in the mission room. Any kids on their own should be brought to the nearest school or place of worship. I'll see if I can contact Red Arrow and get his help too."

Everyone nodded and we went back to the mission room with a new task at hand. Rob led Zatanna to the holo-computers.

"We'll start checking the media. You guys see what you can find out there." The Boy Wonder instructed.

"Start internationally. We'll call when we have anything to report." Kaldur told the pair. They both nodded and went to work. I pulled out my phone and dialed Roy's number. No answer. I tried again. No answer. Then it hit me. Roy was 18. Technically, he was a legal adult, which must have meant that he was gone too.

"Red Arrow isn't answering his phone. He's technically an adult, so it looks like he's gone too."

"I will contact my friends in Atlantis and notify you if they are experiencing the same dilemma." Kaldur told us before turning to head to his room. I looked over at Wally, M'gann, Connor and Artemis.

"Let's head into town. Round up as many kids as possible and bring them to Happy Harbor High."

* * *

We spent the next several hours searching for kids and teens and directing them to the local high school. The kids were easy, teenagers not so much. They needed a bit of convincing to keep themselves from looting and ransacking. Luckily, my fists were in a talking mood. By the time 11:30 rolled around, I was helping Connor gather as many toddlers as we could carry, while Wally was speeding through town and M'gann was traumatizing graffiti artists. Artemis volunteered to stay at the high school and keep an eye on things.

With a three-year old boy in a Green Arrow sweater in one arm and my phone in my free hand, Wally, Rob and I were on speaker phone, discussing the circumstances.

"Any luck with-"

"No. Can't reach the Batcave, the Hall of Justice, or the Watch-" Robin caught himself. Zatanna still didn't know about the Watchtower, "-or any adult hero."

"It sounds like we're on our own then." I said glumly, "We're almost done here in town. Then we'll regroup at the Cave."

"Alright, Kid Flash out."

I hung up and began to follow Connor, who was now covered in three toddlers to the high school. We burst into the gym a few minutes later, and saw Artemis and Wally already there. We set the kids down and watched one of M'gann's cheerleader friends lead them over to a group of kids their age.

"That's everyone we could find. Now, let's head back and figure this out." I instructed.

Back in the Cave, Kaldur was still trying to get through to Atlantis, so I continued to take point on our 'mission'.

"We need to let the kids of the world know that there are still heroes that are working to solve this. We need to get a message out globally." I decided. Rob and Wally stepped forward.

"We can help with that, Kara." Wally smiled warmly.

"Then we better get changed. Kids these days only listen to people in uniform."

* * *

"Attention, children and teenagers of Earth. I am Wildcat and these are my friends, Robin and Kid Flash." I began, staring at the camera from behind my mask, my voice confident and reassuring.

"We're using Justice League tech to cast and stream on every TV, radio, computer and smartphone on the planet." Robin explained.

"We know you must be scared and angry. We know that with your parents missing, there's a temptation to run wild. But please, stay calm." Kid continued.

"We are working to find a way to bring the adults back. But for the time being the oldest among us have to step up. Look out for your younger siblings and those who can't look out for themselves." I added in.

"Protect them. And we will protect you. It's up to you. Help in any way you can." Wally finished. The camera shut off then and Rob configured the planet's satellites to play our message on a continuous loop.

I stepped away, my feet bringing me to the trophy room, where I stopped in front of the Helmet of Fate. I sighed, staring blankly at the Helmet.

"I know what you're thinking." Wally's voice echoed off the walls of the relatively empty room. He walked over and stood next to me, arms crossed over his chest, "I was thinking the same thing."

"It may be the only way." I said quietly.

"I just got through to Atlantis." Kaldur walked in next, his expression depressed, "No adults there either."

"So... just how desperate are we?" Wally asked the question we all had on our minds. We turned to look at the Helmet.

"We all know that the next person to don the Helmet of Fate will most likely never escape from Nabu's grasp. There will be no going back from that." I reminded them. It was a miracle that Nabu had even released Wally to begin with. Let alone Kaldur. There was no way he would let anyone else go.

"So... not that desperate. Not yet." Kaldur answered, taking my hand in his.

"Guys?" Zatanna called out to us quietly. She was dressed in her mission attire her normally bright blue eyes now swimming with fear. "I'm ready to try my father's locater spell."

* * *

We gathered around a global holomap and waited with baited breath for Zatanna to perform the spell. She took a step forward, raised her arms, wand in one hand and recited the backwards incantation.

"Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!"

The globe stopped, a red dot appearing not far off the coast of Virginia.

"Coordinates locked. Roanoke Island. You did it." Robin smiled softly at his crush. She didn't return it. I could tell something seemed off to her. I moved to ask her about it, but the sound of rolling thunder and a lightning strike took hold of my attention. A ten-year old boy was standing behind us in the Cave.

"It works!" He exclaimed. We all kinda stood there for a second, trying to comprehend what happened. Then Kaldur started asking questions.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?"

"Quick! Read my mind!" The boy told M'gann. How did he-?

M'gann gasped, "He's Captain Marvel!"

"Yeah, and I'm Speedy Gonzalez." Wally said sarcastically, "Look, just because he believes he's Cap-"

"Gee, Wally, do I really have to bring you nachos and pineapple juice to get on your good side?" The kid asked smartly. We were all stumped. It was him, I don't know how but this ten-year old kid was in fact Captain Marvel.

"Ok, we're convinced. Now explain what's going on, Cap." I smiled down at him.

"Technically, I'm not Captain Marvel right now. Call me Billy. Billy Batson." Billy grinned, "Anyway, I've been in Fawcett City all day trying to figure this whole thing out. I was able to get a ride to Happy Harbor, but my pilot turned 18 in mid-air and disappeared. So I changed into Captain Marvel and found out that adults don't actually disappear! They get transported to another dimension! One without kids! And I found Batman and Zatara too, they want to coordinate a simultaneous attack on Roanoke Island."

" _Incoming call, Constantine, John._ " A holo-screen appeared in front of me.

"Accept."

John's face popped up on the screen, a fresh cigarette caught between his teeth.

"You know those things will kill you one day." I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at the Brit.

"Not if the demons kill me first, darling." John quipped, "Are the adults missin' in the States too?"

"All over the world, John. Any advice?"

"This is powerful magic, no single sorcerer could do this on his or her own. I suspect that there's at least one child and one adult." Who did we know that was an extremely powerful child sorcerer?

"Since the number of child sorcerers is limited, I would assume it would be Morgana LeFay, Sargon the Sorceress, or even Klarion the Witch Boy."

That was all I needed to hear.

"Thanks, John. Grant, out."

I turned to Billy, "Tell Bats and Zatara that we need to move fast to make this work."

"Sure thing. SHAZAM!"

"Good thing you have your own sorcerer on call." Artemis smirked.

I shrugged, "It helps from time to time."

"Really?" Zatanna arched a brow at me, "John Constantine?"

"We may have... _mingled_ here and there a while back. So I have his number, big deal. It's not like I'm sneaking around with the jerk." My face flushed at what I had just said. Sheepishly, I rubbed the back of my neck, "Well... I'm not _anymore._ "

Thank God for Billy Batson.

"Batman agrees with you, Kara. He thinks that if we can distract these goons, the two dimensions will merge on their own. They're on their way to Roanoke now."

"Then let's move."

* * *

We landed in Roanoke in less than an hour and immediately went to work. Just as Constantine had predicted, Klarion was there, but he was alone, in the center of a pentagram where a small gem had been driven into the ground. We crept as quietly as we could until we were close enough to attack from a reasonable distance. Robin and Artemis launched explosive discs and arrows at the Witch Boy, but he stopped them midair before they could reach him.

A wicked grin spread across his wicked face, "That's the best you can do?"

He sent a bolt of red lightning at the pair, scattering them along the tree-lined path. Connor rushed through the smoke toward him while Kaldur came at him from behind, his water-bearers forming a hammer, and Kid sped toward him from the side, all with the intent of knocking Klarion out of the pentagram. But with a simple flick of his wrist, the Lord of Chaos crafted a shield around the pentagram and himself, sending the three boys flying backward.

Zatanna rushed forward and raised her hands, "Etativel mih ffo eht margatnep!"

Her spell had no effect on him, and so he scoffed, "Baby magic," and raised his hand, "Fi ehs stnaw ot etativel os yldab, tel reh."

Zatanna went flying backwards, but Connor caught her and set her gently back on the ground, while M'gann and I tried to break down Klarion's shield. M'gann launched boulders at him from all sides while I tried to punch my way through. It made for a good distraction as Artemis tried to shoot the cat that had been watching the fight from afar. Klarion raised his hand again and in a puff of smoke, the arrow turned into a ball of string.

The Witch Boy laughed, "Show them what the familiar to a Lord of Chaos can do, Teekl."

The cat roared, transforming into a saber-toothed beast five times larger than it was before. It immediately went after Connor like he was a new toy to rip up. I realized pretty quickly that I was getting nowhere by trying to punch my way through Klarion's shield so I backed off. That was when I noticed blue lightning starting to appear from the gem in the center of the pentagram.

"Humph, so you've teamed up with the grumps." Klarion muttered, "Team work is so overrated."

As the lightning erupted from the gem, Klarion redirected it towards us, sending pulsing shockwaves through us. I screamed in pain and not far off, I heard Kaldur do the same.

 _"Don't shout, Billy."_ He must have reappeared behind me, because I couldn't see where he was, _I've linked you telepathically to the others."_

 _"That's so cool! Oh, I mean, uh, it's the gem! At the center of the pentagram. Destroy it, and we win!"_

 _"That's all I needed to know."_ Zatanna said determined. That could mean only one thing. I whipped around, ingoring the pain coursing through me and saw the Helmet of Fate in Zatanna's hands.

"ZATANNA, DON'T DO IT!" I yelled. Clearly, that got Klarion's attention because the lightning finally dissipated. She slipped on the Helmet and in a flash of golden light, Zatanna had become Doctor Fate.

"Klarion! This ends now!" Fate cried, glaring down at the Witch Boy.

 _"Billy! Tell Zatara!"_

"Right, SHAZAM!"

Fate and Klarion began to clash. With him thoroughly distracted, M'gann, Wally, Kaldur and I moved Artemis and Robin out of the way.

"Kid, go!" I ordered. He took off, M'gann not too far behind. I ran after the latter toward the shield, ripping the tape off my hands. I wouldn't need it anymore. The now familiar metallic sound reached my ears and a stinging sensation erupted across the back of my hands. I struck the shield as hard as I could, driving my claws into the red dome, but leaving no lasting effect.

Above us, Zatanna was fading in and out of her Doctor Fate attire, struggling to maintain flight. Klarion smirked.

"Ha! There, see? When the world's divided, the Helmet splits too! You're not all here, Nabu! And you're losing your hold on that poor, soon to be dead, girl! She gave herself up for nothing."

"No, Witch Boy." Fate replied angrily, "Fate decrees her sacrifice will not be in vain!"

A large golden ankh appeared, sending a beam of light down onto Klarion's shield. At the same time, M'gann raised a boulder from the ground, while Kaldur and I continued to pound at the dome. Slowly, it began to fade.

"NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" Klarion cried. Fate through an ankh at the Lord of Chaos, trapping him within it. Kaldur turned around.

"Now, Kid!" Wally sped out from the trees and scooped up the gem.

"Doc! Catch!" He tossed it up to Fate, who caught it with ease.

"Yam eht owt emoceb eno ecno erom!" A blast of white light made me turn away for a moment, before looking back to see Felix Faust, Black Briar Thorn, Wotan and Wizard all collapse to the ground, unconscious.

Klarion shrugged, "Huh. They sure don't make evil immortal sorcerers like they used to. Oh, well."

He snapped his fingers and the ankh faded away. He then stood and brushed himself off.

"Fun while it lasted. Teekl!" The saber-toothed creature stopped attacking Connor and ran toward its master, reverting back to its cat form along the way. Klarion opened a portal and turned back to us with his wicked grin.

"See you later, armadillos! Unless I see you first!" He burst out laughing and leapt through the portal, vanishing into an unknown realm.

Wally sped over to Fate, "Aren't you going to stop him?"

"To what end?" Fate replied, "Klarion is chaos personified. He cannot be contained."

Batman finished tying up the adult sorcerers while the rest of us looked on at Zatara, who was looking up at Doctor Fate. Never before have I seen such sadness in a man's eyes. Robin and Artemis groaned, struggling to stand. I retracted my claws and helped Rob up while M'gann supported Artemis on her shoulder.

"Did we win?" The Boy Wonder asked.

"At a cost." Kaldur answered solemnly.

"FATE!" Zatara yelled, before calming himself, "Great Nabu, release my daughter."

There was a moment of stillness, of what I thought was hesitation, before Fate replied.

"No." Zatara's face fell even more, if that was even possible.

"Witness the havoc wrought in these hours, the world needs Doctor Fate. And the girl's natural affinity for the mystic arts makes her the perfect candidate."

"You can't do that!" Artemis yelled.

"She has her own life to live!" Robin argued.

"You have no right, Nabu! Kent would never-" I began, but Nabu interrupted me.

"Kent Nelson argued strenuously. So I released his spirit into the afterlife. He is gone."

I backed off, my eyes trailing to the ground, the pain in my hands returning now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

"Take me instead." Zatara offered, "My skills are already at there peak. My body is physically stronger, better able to withstand the strain of your power."

"All true." Nabu agreed, albeit cautiously, "But if I remove the Helmet, what guarantee have I that you will don it?"

"My word. Ekat em daetsni." Zatara vowed as Fate descended to the ground. He removed the Helmet of Fate and Zatanna appeared once more. She looked up and saw her father standing before her and a smile burst across her face.

"Dad!" He wrapped her arms around him tightly for a moment.

"Zatanna." He released her and placed a kiss on her forehead, "Remember. I love you."

He set his hands on the Helmet, tugging it away from her and turning to Batman, "Take care of my girl."

"You have my word."

Zatara began to place the Helmet on his head, but Zatanna rushed toward him in an attempt to stop him. But I was faster. I ran out and grabbed her, putting her in a restraining hold.

"No! Please! This is my fault! Dad, don't! DAD!" She struggled against me, but I was able to hold her back as Zatara became the new Doctor Fate. He turned away from us and levitated the tied up sorcerers before taking to the sky himself.

"Leave these to Fate." And in a final flash, both Fate and the sorcerers were gone. Zatanna's knees gave out, but I held her steady as she began to cry into my shoulder.

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _November 7, 09:10 EST_

Batman thought it was best to move Zatanna into the Cave. So M'gann, Artemis, Robin and I all offered to help move her things from her father's apartment in Manhattan. Once the last of the boxes were unloaded, we stepped back, allowing Zatanna to have a little space.

"My room's right next door if you need anything." M'gann offered with a kind smile.

"Thanks. I, uh... could use a little alone time." Zatanna gave a small, sad smile back, but it was forced.

"Of course. Take all the time you need." I set a comforting hand on her shoulder, before ushering everyone out. And as I walked away, I couldn't help but shed a tear as my enhanced hearing picked up the sound of sobbing coming from Zatanna's room.


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: So, due to lack of a plot line for anyone other than Wally in Coldhearted, and, believe it or not, I'm actually not a fan of the episode Image, so I'm skipping ahead to Agendas. If you've got a problem with that, too f*cking bad. And as a treat for you all, this episode is entirely the deliberation of the Justice League.**

* * *

 _ **Agendas**_

 _The Watchtower_

 _November 25, 06:54 EST_

Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman stood together in the Watchtower gardens, gazing out over the earth as the sun began to crest over the Western Hemisphere.

"Times like these, one feels the weight of the world upon us." Wonder Woman said solemnly. Her male companions continued to look on in silence, only moving when Aquaman stepped up behind them and cleared his throat.

"Everyone is here."

The foursome walked in silence to the deliberation room. There, they saw the entirety of the Justice League standing before them as the windows began to seal themselves shut. Nothing spoken in this room was to be heard by anyone outside of it.

"Our agenda is clear. What's at stake should not be underestimated." Aquaman began.

"The decisions we make today will reverberate for years to come." The Man of Steel continued.

Wonder Woman added, "And influence whether or not the world continues to put their trust in the Justice League."

"Please, take your seats." Batman stepped forward, calling the meeting to order, "We have work to do."

* * *

Once everyone was settled, Batman stood from his seat.

"I'd like to bring this annual meeting of the Justice League to order. First and only order of business being nominations for new League membership. The floor is open to anyone with a nomination."

"Another expansion of the League could generate another escalation of hostilities from our enemies. No one needs or wants another Injustice League." Martian Manhunter was the first to speak.

"Point taken." Superman acknowledged his comrade before turning to the others, "But the option still remains to vote no on one or all candidates. So, I nominate Icon for League membership."

A holographic image of the hero appeared in the center of the room. Green Arrow scoffed.

"Why? Because you think he might be Kryptonian like you did with Captain Marvel?"

"You thought I was Kryptonian? Cool!" Marvel smiled childishly, earning some uncertain looks from other Leaguers. Wonder Woman set a hand on Superman's arm.

"Icon interests me, also. As does his protégé, Rocket. Athena knows the League could use more female members."

"Agreed." Black Canary grinned.

"Hear, hear." Hawkwoman cheered.

"We can all agree that diversity is a must for the League." Captain Atom said, "But we should also be considering heroes that are still new on the scene. Heroes that have a lot to learn from working with experienced Leaguers. That way new members can pass on what they learn to other incoming members. Which is why I nominate the Atom for League membership."

Captain Marvel chuckled, "Seriously? The Atom? How much use could he be at that size?"

"It's the size that makes him useful." Batman countered.

"Absolutely." Flash agreed, "Plus, the League could also use more raw power. And Earth has a third Green Lantern, Guy Gardner."

"No." Both Lanterns said firmly.

"But we could really-"

"No!"

Flash slunk back in his chair, looking deflated.

"If we want more raw power, then I'm nominating Blue Devil for membership." John Stewart offered.

A large devil-looking man appeared next on the holo-screen. Captain Atom nodded in agreement.

"He's assisted us on multiple occasions, including the Injustice League crisis in October. He has plenty of power and is willing to learn from us." The Nuclear Man argued.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he's League material." Hal Jordan butted in, "He's been on the scene for only two years. Not to mention he still doesn't know the full extent of his abilities yet. He could wind up losing control of his 'devil side' and wind up causing more harm than good."

"Hal's right." Arrow stood up from his seat, "And if we're thinking of nominating Blue Devil, then I nominate Red Arrow."

The archer's former protégé appeared on screen, "Roy has more experience and he's no kid anymore. He's 18, a legal adult."

"True, but he has also been uncooperative and disrespectful." Aquaman rebuttled. Arrow sat down, arms crossed over his chest.

"And since when has age ever restricted a hero from doing good work?" Wonder Woman asked, "If experience is what we want in our new members, it seems only fitting that the obvious choice for the position be made. I nominate Wildcat for League membership."

"Diana! You can't be serious!" Black Canary gasped. She had always been protective of her protégé, having known her for so long.

"I am, Dinah. Kara has more experience than any other among the Team. She's proven herself time after time to be a capable leader and team member. Not to mention her skill set is unparalleled."

Green Arrow sighed, "I hate to say it, but Diana's right. Kara is more than capable of handling herself. Hell, she's taken half the League down hand to hand in sparring sessions. If we Diana nominates her, then I second the nomination."

"But she's only 16." Superman pointed out, "How can we be so sure that the public would accept a teenager into the League? They may lose faith in us, they may start to believe that we're willing to take what we can get. I don't believe we should be inducting kids into the League."

"Wildcat has proven herself to be much more than a kid in a uniform." Batman cut in, "Not only is she respected among her teammates, but she's respected among us. That respect has not been easily gained. And if Diana is confident in her nomination, then so am I."

"Then what about the rest of the Team?" Superman shot back, "Are we allowing them to be candidates as well? They're only kids."

"That seems myopic. I have been one with both Aqualad and Kid Flash." Doctor Fate spoke up, "They are both ready to handle the responsibilities of the Justice League."

"And what of Zatanna?" Diana asked. Fate slammed his fists on the table.

"Absolutely not!"

"That sounded almost protective, Doctor." A sly grin formed at the corners of Wonder Woman's mouth, "At least we know Zatara is still in that helmet somewhere."

"Why _is_ Doctor Fate a member? You coerced Zatara into giving up his life, or lose his daughter instead. Not cool." Captain Marvel glared daggers at the Lord of Order.

"Should such behavior be condoned?" Red Tornado asked.

"Zatara desires Doctor Fate remain in the League." Fate crossed his arms.

"Oh, please." Marvel rolled his eyes.

"It is true. Zatara's trust in Nabu is... measured. He desires the League maintain a close watch upon us." Fate confessed.

"Then for the time being, Fate will remain." Batman decided, "Moving on from the Team, I'd like to enter my own nomination. Plastic Man."

"I don't know." Flash was wary of the nomination, "The guy's got a pretty substantial criminal record."

Captain Marvel couldn't hold in a laugh, "I'm sorry. Sorry, the guy just cracks me up."

His fit ended quickly when the entirety of the League directed their gaze upon him.

"Eeehhh… maybe we should discuss the elephant in the room?" Flash stated hesitantly, "Should Captain Marvel remain a member of the League, now that we know he's really a ten year old kid?"

"He does possess an adult body and the Wisdom of Solomon." Tornado pointed out.

"Wisdom does not equal maturity." Wonder Woman shot back.

"Hey, I'm sitting right here!" Marvel exclaimed. Canary offered a kind smile to him.

"Then, Billy, maybe you should leave, until we hash this out."

"No." Batman said firmly, "Captain Marvel is a member and is entitled to participate, until or unless he's voted out."

"It's not just his age. It's the fact that he lied about it." Wonder Woman's fist tightened.

"I didn't lie... exactly. I just... left out the part about me being a kid." Marvel tried to defend himself.

"A lie of omission is still a lie. You kept an important secret from us. No one in the League knew the truth."

"I knew." Batman said, directing the League's gaze toward him.

"I shouldn't be surprised." Diana spat, "Since you indoctrinated Robin into crime fighting at the ripe old age of 9."

"Robin _needed_ to help bring the man who murdered his family to justice." Batman replied coolly.

"So that he could turn out like you?"

"So that he wouldn't."

A pregnant pause filled the room. For a moment, no one knew what to say. Then Martian Manhunter spoke up.

"With the exception of Wildcat, it seems we've reached the consensus that 18 is a reasonable minimum age for League membership. But what of Miss Martian?" An image of Manhunter's niece appeared next, "Though she is a biological adolescent by Martian standards, she was born 48 Earth years ago."

"So what is the deciding factor? Chronology or biology? Take Superboy." Tornado asked his comrades.

"Exactly. He's less than a year old. Does he have to wait 17 more to stand beside us?" Canary argued.

"You seem to be very supportive of him, Canary. So tell me, why are you so against your own protégé joining our ranks?" Hal asked smartly.

"That's my business, Lantern. Not yours."

Batman stood from his chair.

"That's enough. Does anyone have any other nominations?" He received no response, and so, pressed a button on his keypad, pulling up images of each of the candidates. "Then here are the candidates for new, or continued, membership. We've debated origin, gender, size, age, temperament and background. But, what is the fundamental criteria for membership?"

"When all is said and done, the question must be, whom do we trust?" Wonder Woman said solemnly, "Trust to fight beside us, trust to have our backs, trust to uphold the high standards and ideals of the Justice League."

"Time to vote."

* * *

It took only a few minutes for everyone to finish their ballots.

"All those in favor of ratifying the results?"

Every hand in the room went in the air, "Aye."

"Opposed?" Silence followed.

"Then we are adjourned."


	23. Chapter 22

_**Insecurity**_

 _Star City_

 _December 4 21:02 PST_

"Long time, no see, Roy." I said as he and I met on the roof of a corner store near Ollie's coordinates. He had been out on patrol with Artemis tonight, but had obviously called Roy and myself to meet with him afterwards.

"I was about to say the same thing." Roy replied, slinging his bow over his shoulder, "You look like you've been doing some intense workouts. Missions got you working hard?"

"Not exactly. We can talk about it later. Maybe over breakfast?"

He chuckled lightly, "Sounds good to me, as long as you're buying."

"Deal." I smiled underneath my mask as, together, we walked into the alley where Ollie was bidding goodbye to Artemis. Once she was gone, Ollie addressed us.

"Been watching long?"

"Long enough to see she's improving." Roy answered, his expression becoming a bit strained, "What'd you wanna talk about?"

Ollie opened his mouth to speak, but Roy's police radio went off.

 _"All units, armed robbery in progress. Two suspects. Corner of Greene and Larkin."_

GA looked between the two of us, "For old time's sake?"

* * *

Bank robbers are almost laughable sometimes. Only one of them carried a gun, while the other grabbed the cash. It was way too easy. So, I sat back and watched Roy and Ollie pin the pair to the wall. Once they were taken care of, Ollie turned to the both of us.

"All right, now I can finally tell you two why I called." Ollie stood and set his bow on his shoulder, "The League had its annual meeting on Thanksgiving this year. We had... a lot to discuss. Especially about you two. So Batman asked me to tell you guys that you both made the cut."

My breath hitched in my throat, "Made the cut for what exactly?"

"By the end of the year, both of you will be in the Justice League."

I screamed internally. To the public eye, Roy and I would be the youngest members in League history.

"There's no way Dinah was okay with this."

"Oh God, no." Ollie laughed, "Wonder Woman nominated you. But the results for both of your nominations were incredible. 14 to 2 for the Super Cat and 13 to 3 for Red Arrow. The League respects you. Both of you."

I couldn't believe it. This was actually happening. Ollie looked to Roy.

"Now will you set a good example and join the Team?"

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _December 5, 17:04 EST_

Ollie and I had managed to convince Roy to join the Team. But he and I both agreed to withhold the reason why, as well as my own nomination to the League. At least, until we felt the time was right.

" _Recognized: Artemis, B zero eight._ "

"Artemis! Just in time!" GA smiled at his protégé. Everyone who surrounded Roy stepped away to face Artemis, exposing him, "Look who finally decided to join the Team."

Wally swung his arm around Roy's neck, a dopey grin on his face, "Finally!"

Artemis scowled, "Sure, Team's needed a _real archer_."

Ooh, she was _not_ happy. But Roy joining the Team wasn't the cause, that much I could tell. Something else was going on.

"Okay, people, listen up!" Ollie called, trying to ease the tension, "The Dynamic Duo's on a case in Gotham, but Batman gave me a heads up."

He went to work typing away on the holo-computer and pulled up a security photo of our favorite baddy.

"Sportsmaster was spotted coming through Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport."

"In full costume?" Zatanna asked, "Nervy."

"In street clothes." GA clarified, "Facial recognition software picked up the ID. Find out what he's up to."

"All of us?" Connor asked, "Seems like overkill for a shadow job."

He had a point, there were eight of us without the Boy Wonder. It was a bit much.

"Perhaps a small squad." Red Tornado suggested, "Miss Martian's camouflage abilities seem ideal."

"Thought the sidekicks, sorry, _ex-_ sidekicks, could suit up on this. Wildcat, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Red Arrow." The boys celebrated quietly.

"Good." Connor said, "Stakeouts make me crazy."

"We could use the night off." M'gann smiled.

"I want in." Artemis said, her face stern, "With M'gann and Robin out, no one's logged more hours piloting the Bioship."

"Artemis, are you sure?" GA asked, wary of her involvement in the case.

"Absolutely."

"Then by all means, take my spot." I pulled my mask off, "I have plenty of non-hero work that I have to do. If you need me, I can run ops from here."

"If you're okay with that, Cat, then it's fine with me." Ollie nodded.

So, once the crew flew off, I set myself up in the mission room. I had a comm in my ear, tuned to an encrypted channel, a holo-map tracking everyone on my right hand side, and an unfinished U.S. History paper on the desk in front of me. I was supposed to be writing a three-page report on the attack on Pearl Harbor, but my mind kept drifting to the League. Wonder Woman, _the_ Wonder Woman, had nominated me for membership in the League. Growing up, I idolized her. She was my favorite hero (don't tell Oliver) as a kid.

"No offense, guys, but even my boredom is bored." Zatanna's voice snapped me out of my daze.

"Maybe the night off wasn't the best idea."

"Hey, Kara!" Connor called out to me. I swiveled around dramatically in my chair, "Got any good stakeouts for us?"

"Sorry, I'm busy refereeing Red Arrow and company. But when RT comes down from his apartment, you can ask him. He might have something." I shrugged, before turning back to my report.

 _"Red Arrow to Cave. We've arrived at the drop-point. Target has been identified, heading North."_

I glanced over at the holo-map, pressing my finger to the comm in my ear, "Pursue. But maintain discreet distance. Especially you, Artemis. Sportsmaster has a knack for spotting Martian camouflage in motion."

 _"Copy."_

My line went dead as the squad went into radio silence. I went back to work on my report. It took me another half hour to crank out a solid page and a half, and now that I had my motor running I would be done before the squad came back.

"Wildcat," The metallic voice of Red Tornado echoed off the walls of the Cave, "I would like to inform you that I will be heading to the Watchtower for monitor duty."

"Okay, thanks for letting me know." I said, not looking up from my work.

"You are welcome. And congratulations on your recent nomination."

"Thank you, RT." I replied as he headed to the zeta tubes.

 _"Aqualad to Cave. We've planted tracers on Sportsmaster and Chesire. Track them."_

I turned over to the holo-map, "Okay, looks like Cheshire is heading north, but Sportsmaster is heading south. They'll most likely rendezvous at a predetermined location."

 _"Thanks, Whiskers."_ Roy replied before shutting off the comms again.

* * *

I worked for several hours, hearing nothing from the squad. When they finally returned, they looked like something had gone seriously wrong. Connor, M'gann and Zatanna appeared not far behind them.

"What the hell happened?" I asked, rushing toward them as they entered the mission room, "I haven't heard from you guys in hours!"

Kaldur set his hands on my shoulders and sighed, "We failed. Though the Injustice League is in custody, their allies still scheme. And we know nothing of their plans."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Roy spat, glaring pointedly at Artemis.

"Hey!" She snapped, "Who found out that Sportsmaster was working for Brain, Klarion and Ivo?"

"Yeah, great intel." He replied, sarcastically, "Except Ivo has been in Belle Reve the whole time! And the guards just checked; it's the real Ivo, not a robot!"

"You know, I'm getting kind of tired of you dumping on her!" Wally stepped in, cutting Roy off from Artemis.

The older archer held up a tracer for Wally to see. The speedster shrugged.

"Her tracer, so? Cheshire ditched it."

"No, Artemis ditched _that,_ " He pointed to the tracer that Kaldur had pulled from his backpack, "To send us on a wild goose chase. She put this one on Cheshire."

Wally was visibly shocked, "Artemis?"

He turned to face her, his shock turning to anger and accusation, "Are you that freaked out by Arrow joining the Team that you had to take the bad guys on solo? Please tell me I'm wrong."

She opened her mouth, tried to find the words to defend herself, but none came. She closed her mouth and her eyes fell to the floor.

"Well, nice going. What you proved is that you're insecure and selfish." Wally scowled, tossing one of Cheshire's sais at her feet, "Keep the sai."

He ripped the tracer out of Roy's hand and held it up, "This is the proper souvenir for the mission."

The speedster walked away, heading toward the zeta tubes in silence. Roy turned his attention back to his fellow archer.

"So how will you betray us next time?"

"That's enough!" I stepped in front of Roy, placing a hand on his chest and shoving him back, he stumbled a few steps, not expecting me to be strong enough to move him, "You all made mistakes. Get over yourself, or the League will rescind both our nominations."

I stopped as soon as I realized what I had said. Everyone fell silent.

"Nominations?" Connor asked.

"For membership into the Justice League." Roy explained, his scowl growing ever more prominent, "Wildcat and I were both voted in as new members. It was _supposed_ to be kept quiet."

"They would have figured it out sooner or later, Roy." I snapped, "I mean, come on."

"Who else is joining the League?" Zatanna asked me.

"Classified. We don't even know who else was elected in." I replied, my throat suddenly dry, "But after we're officially sworn in, both of us will be leaving the Team."

"Okay, so when were you planning on telling us this?" Artemis snarled. My gaze locked itself onto the ground, unable to meet the condescending glares that bore into me from all directions.

"When the time was right. Not when you were all at each other's throats." I replied simply, steeling myself and raising my head with a sudden surge of confidence. I had no reason to feel ashamed by this. If anything, I should be ridiculously proud of it.

"Go home. All of you. And get some sleep." I demanded, before swiping my history paper of the desk and heading for the nearest zeta tube.


	24. Authors Note 2

**In response to a recent review, I want to make several things clear. First and foremost, I, from the very beginning, had every intention of having Kara inducted into the League in Season 1. That isn't to say that the other members of the Team are any less worthy, but like Superman stated during 'Agendas', the decision to vote no remained with all candidates. I could have easily inducted every member of the Team into the League, but where does the story go if I do that? I'm not trying to completely rewrite the entire canon, I'm merely constructing an alternate storyline that pairs with the canon. Secondly, Kara is anything but perfect. So she may not be psychologically damaged, so she's experienced, so what? This character is not meant to be the perfect hero, her backstory has been severely limited in this story for a reason. She herself has refused to confront her past in an effort to better herself for the future. And yes, she may present herself as somewhat arrogant at times, but remember, she's a teenager. We've all had our fair share of teenage confidence, our share of feeling invulnerable. Kara Grant is not a saint. She is not a Mary Sue. She has her demons, believe me. Some of them were inspired by my own. You just haven't seen them yet. Hell, you probably won't even see them until post-Season 1. But you will see them. They won't remain hidden forever. If my response to your review has upset you, I apologize, but I stand by what I say. If you discontinue reading, that's on you. I have plenty of other readers who have enjoyed the story that I am telling. I am honored to write for them.**

 **Regards,**

 **H.J.H**


	25. Chapter 23

_**Performance**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _December 9, 16:16 EST_

Kaldur had asked me to meet him on the snow-covered beach. I took a shaky breath as I approached, his back was facing me as he gazed up at the clear night sky.

"I still can't get over the fact that you can wear sandals when its 17 degrees outside." I said, shivering as I stopped next to him. He chuckled, but it was strained.

"Atlantean waters often reach below freezing temperatures. I'm used to the cold." He explained, before turning to me, "But that's not why I asked you to meet me here."

"I know." I replied, my gaze fixated on the stars, "You want to talk about what happened two days ago. After your failed mission in New Orleans."

"You have been offered membership to the Justice League." It wasn't an accusation, it wasn't condescending. It was... hurt, the way he said it.

"Yes." I whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear, my eyes trailing from the sky to the dark horizon.

"When did you find out?" He asked.

"Less than 24 hours before Roy joined the Team." I admitted, "He and I agreed to hold off on telling the Team until we were comfortable with telling everyone."

"You're lying to me, Kara. I can hear it in your voice." Kaldur stepped in front of me, this time he faced me, "Tell me the truth."

I didn't realize I had stop breathing until I finally exhaled. Together for only four months and he's already figured out my tells. I stepped back, located a snow-free boulder and motioned for him to join me. Together we sat on the rock, his eyes on me, my eyes on the moonlit waves.

"When Arrow first told me that I had been voted into the League, all could feel was excitement. Pride. I thought it was well earned. But now that I've begun to reflect on everything I've done, I'm starting to doubt that it was my work in the field that earned me the nomination."

"What do you mean?"

"I began my training with my grandfather. Back in the day, he was a founding member of the Justice Society of America, a trainer of heroes. He has connections with almost everyone in the League. So as I was growing up, I gained connections with them too. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm concerned that I was offered a place in the League because of my connections, not because of my work with Black Canary and the Team." I confessed, wringing my hands together, "It makes me feel like they overlooked everyone else on the Team because the League doesn't know any of you the way the League knows me. And if so, it's unfair of the League to elect its members because of that."

"I agree." Kaldur interrupted, "But if that's your concern, then maybe you should speak to Batman about it. Since he's currently the chairman of the League, he may be able to help."

"Maybe, maybe so..." I trailed off. I didn't know what else to say.

"I may not have been offered a place in the League, but I know that both you and Roy have worked just as hard as the rest of us to earn one. If it were my decision, I would have elected both of you as well." Kaldur said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"You have an impartial bias. I'm your girlfriend and Roy's your best friend." I pointed out.

"True. But even if that weren't the case, it wouldn't change my vote."

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _December 22, 18:33 EST_

Robin had dragged Roy, Artemis, M'gann and Connor off to Europe to help him with an old friend from his circus days, Jack Haly. He invited me too, but I respectfully declined. This was the perfect excuse to spend some time alone with Kaldur. Currently, we were lounging on the couch in the common area, and I was reclining across his lap. He ran one hand through my hair, while intertwining his free hand with one of mine.

"I can't remember the last time the Cave was this quiet." I said quietly, glancing up him.

"Neither can I. It's nice to have time alone with you, Kara. Especially since you won't be around for much longer." He pulled his hand from my hair and cupped my cheek.

"Just because I join the League, it doesn't mean I can't come back to the Cave. We can make it work, Kaldur." I said, reaching up to pull his face toward me. I pressed a gentle kiss to his lips and smiled, "We've been through worse."

"I love you." He said, kissing me again.

"I love you too."

My phone buzzed in my back pocket. I groaned and pulled it out. It was Dinah.

"You know today is my day off, right?" I sighed into the phone.

"Not anymore. Ollie is in hot water. Got himself captured by Merlyn. We need to go get him." Dinah replied.

"We? Why not just you?" I whined, sitting up from my comfortable spot.

"Because whether I like it or not, you're about to be inducted into the Justice League. That means you have to step up."

"Okay, fair enough. I'll be there in ten." I said, resigned. I hung up and shoved my phone back into my pocket, "I have to go."

"What happened?" Kaldur asked, standing with me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Green Arrow's been captured. Black Canary and I have to go get him." I explained, wrapping my arms around his neck. I kissed him softly.

"Go. You have work to do."

"I know. Though I'd rather stay here." I admitted.

* * *

 _Star City_

 _December 22, 15:45 PST_

I had to sprint to make it to Queen Manor, change into my uniform and rush downstairs to Ollie's 'Arrow Cave'. Dinah was already geared up and waiting for me.

"Where is he?" I panted. Dinah pulled up a map of Star City on the nearest super-computer.

"His tracker showed his last known location was at Dock 12. But Oliver sent a distress signal twenty minutes ago shortly before his tracker's signal went dead."

"Why was he chasing Merlyn? I thought he was locked in Iron Heights." Iron Heights was on the other side of the country, and the cell that Merlyn was being held in had been designed specifically for him. It was inescapable. Or, at least it was supposed to be.

"It's obvious that he escaped. How still remains to be seen. But Ollie caught him doing contract work for the Shadows. They may have been involved in his escape." Dinah explained.

"So we'll start at the docks and retrace their steps?"

"That's what I was thinking."

 _Dock 12_

 _16:00 PST_

Dock 12 is famous for the contract kills that go down there. Locals call it The Hangman's Dock. So it was no surprise to either of us when we saw the array of arrows that spread along the boats that floated in Star City Harbor. The green fletching belonged to Oliver, the black to Merlyn. We walked the scene, looking for anything that could give us a clue as to where the archers were headed.

"No sign of a physical struggle that I can see." I called to Dinah, who was further down the dock.

"Because you're just skimming over the scene. You need to look into every detail, every crack and crevice until you find something. One of them left something behind."

"I've _been_ looking everywhere! Maybe Merlyn had help, someone to clean up the scene and leave what the bastard wanted us to find."

"Maybe. Or maybe..." Dinah trailed off, which meant she probably found something. I jogged over to her, finding her hunched over a life jacket box that had been unloaded from one of those deep sea fishing boats.

"What did you find?"

"Powder. It looks like gunpowder, but just to be safe, we should take a sample."

I nodded, kneeling down to get a closer look, when something behind the box caught my eye.

"Canary." I reached around and grabbed a small piece of paper. It looked to be singed, like someone had set it on fire. Blood soaked one of the singed corners. "Looks like a business card. Probably belonged to Merlyn's target."

Dinah pulled the card out of my hand and tried to make out a name, while I continued to search for more blood, "We should bring this with us. We can run an analysis; the computer should be able to lift the name off the card without any trouble."

I stopped, my eyes glued to the water between the fishing boat and the concrete dock, "Might not need the card, BC."

"Why? What did you find?"

"Our victim." I pointed to a floater face down in the water, "Looks like Merlyn got his guy."

* * *

The vic's name was Adam Hunt, CEO of Hunt Multinational and one of the richest men in Star City. GA and Roy, when he was still Speedy, had busted him a couple of years ago for corruption, but clearly his dirty work ran deeper than that. Turns out Hunt was quietly funneling money to the Shadows in exchange for silencing the whistleblowers who tipped off Ollie and Roy. But after the whistleblowers had been taken out, Hunt wanted to keep the Shadows under his own thumb just in case anyone tried to expose him afterwards. And... yeah, we all know what happened next. His paranoia cost him his life at the hands of Ra's al Ghul and his assassins.

Dinah and I decided to investigate his office, in an attempt to find evidence in regards to where Ollie was being held.

"Why do these CEOs all have portraits of themselves in their offices? It's petty and self-absorbed." I commented, staring up at the large oil painting of Adam Hunt on a foxhunt with his prized dogs and sport horse.

"Most of them are narcissistic sociopaths. It's all about them and their money." Dinah explained as she began to rummage through his desk.

"Which explains a lot, considering how far Hunt was willing to go to cover his own ass."

"Looks like Hunt rented out a warehouse in the Glades a few weeks ago, but no cargo was placed there." Canary said, "Perfect place to hold a hostage."

"Then let's go! Merlyn's had Arrow for hours now, who knows what kind of shape he'll be in."

* * *

 _The Glades_

 _December 23, 02:03 PST_

Ollie was there. In the warehouse. He was tied to a chair, a bit bloodied and bruised, but nothing serious. Merlyn was there too, decked out in his black Shadows gear. The cowl he usually wore was hanging around his neck, revealing an aged face, maybe 45 or even 50. He had two Shadow grunts with him, one of them was armed, one wasn't. They were guarding Ollie while Merlyn interrogated him.

"How should we do this, Kara?" Canary asked me quietly as we watched from a skylight. I looked over at her in surprise.

"You're letting _me_ call the shots on this one?" I asked. She nodded, the trace of a smile on her lips.

"You had to start at some point."

I grinned widely, though she couldn't see it through my mask. I turned my attention back to Oliver.

"If we can get Ollie free, he looks like he could get himself out of the warehouse without any trouble. But we'll need to distract Merlyn first, while one of us takes out his grunts."

"Leave Merlyn to me. You get Green Arrow out of there." Dinah said.

"Alright. Move in three... two..."

We burst through the skylight, landing in perfect synchrony, Dinah in front of Merlyn, myself in front of Oliver. The grunts moved to surround me, but I moved fast, unsheathing my claws and disarming the first Shadow with ease. As I bobbed and weaved, evading the two grunts' sluggish swings, I cut Ollie's ropes, releasing him from the chair. He staggered a bit, but corrected himself quickly and tackled one of the grunts.

With one of them occupied, I was able to nail the second one quickly in the jaw, sending him flying into a pile of crates, where he remained unconscious. Not far off, I saw Oliver's bow and quiver, leaning against a sheet of rusted metal. I grabbed them and looked up to see Canary knocking Merlyn out with a Canary Cry, while Ollie slammed the other goon into the nearest wall. We didn't waste any time getting out of there, rather we ran for several blocks before taking a breather down an alley on the edge of the Glades.

"Thanks... guys..." Ollie panted, resting his hands on his knees. "I owe you... big time."

"Oh, stop, Ollie." Dinah hushed him, wrapping him in a hug, "We're just glad you're okay."

"Thanks to the two of you." He replied, his breath returning. He finally managed to wriggle out of Dinah's grasp, extending his hands toward me. I handed him his bow and quiver, "Thanks for grabbing those, Kar."

"Well, we couldn't let Green Arrow go without his gear." I replied, "I'm happy you're okay, GA. You had us worried for a bit. What happened?"

"Adam Hunt was being targeted by the Shadows. But what the Shadows didn't know was that Hunt had worked out a deal with myself and Star City PD to expose a ring of corruption within Star City's social elite. I'm talking human trafficking, drug smuggling, illegal arms dealing, you name it. In exchange for his help, Hunt would receive reduced minimum security prison time for his prior conviction. He had called me when he realized he was being tracked by the Shadows, but by the time I had gotten to him, it was too late."

The three of us fell silent for a moment, unsure of what came next.

"Let's head home. I need to be patched up and I'm sure we could all use some sleep." GA sighed. Dinah and I nodded and we helped him up the nearest fire escape.

Minutes later, we were back in the Arrow Cave. Dinah was cleaning up Ollie's cuts while I called Roy for an update.

"How are things going stateside?" He asked me, though his voice was a bit tricky to hear, given that he was on a train and probably had shitty reception.

"As is to be expected. Ollie got nabbed by Merlyn and the Shadows today, but Dinah and I got him back alright." I replied.

"Is he okay?" Roy asked, concerned for his former mentor. The sentiment made me smile.

"A bit bruised, but he'll be okay. What about you guys?"

"I've been looking into the potential mole on the Team-"

I groaned loudly into the phone to make sure he heard it, "Roy, I thought we were letting Batman take care of that!"

"Hey, you, Kaldur, Wally and Dick are in the clear, but we all know that Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis are suspect." He argued.

"Whatever. I would trust all three with my life, but feel free to dig into their lives." I growled, before taking a calming breath, "When you guys get back, I'm gonna talk to Bats about my nomination."

"Why? Having doubts about joining the League?"

"No. I'm having doubts about how I got the right to join it."

* * *

 _Mount Justice_

 _December 26, 10:25 EST_

"Batman, can I talk to you?" I asked. The Dark Knight had just dismissed us after introducing us to our newest addition, Rocket. He nodded.

"What about?"

"My nomination to the League and the circumstances surrounding it." I admitted. The Dark Knight nodded once and waved me over toward the zeta tubes. Once we were certain the others had left, we began to speak in hushed tones.

"You're having second thoughts?"

"No. I'm concerned that I wasn't fairly voted in, given the circumstances of my upbringing." I replied, wringing my hands together.

"You believe that members of the League voted with bias?" Batman asked. His tone wasn't accusing, rather it was curious. I nodded.

"Yes. I do."

Batman hesitated for a moment, I would assume it was to find the best way to phrase his response. He sighed.

"I can assure you that's not the case. Each member of the Team, even Rocket, was considered for potential membership to the League. But it was decided that we would choose people that we would trust to fight alongside us. That isn't to say that I wouldn't trust any member of the Team, but-"

"You can't say the same for the opinion of the rest of the League." I finished for him. He nodded.

"The others will have their time. But now is yours and Red Arrow's. You've both impressed us with your work in the field and in training. _That_ is why you were invited to join the League."

I took a moment to let his words sink in, before nodding in understanding.

"Thanks, Batman. I'm just relieved to hear that I actually earned my place, instead of having it handed to me."

Batman cracked the smallest smile, before setting a large, yet gentle, hand on my shoulder.

"Of course. If you need anything else, know that you can come to any member of the League. That's why we're here."


	26. Chapter 24

_**Usual Suspects**_

 _Washington D.C._

 _December 30, 09:16 EST_

Today was the day. Saying that feels almost unreal. The Star City sidekicks were finally being inducted into the Justice League. Standing next to Roy, I scanned the crowd for anyone I knew. There were a few reporters I recognized, a few friends of current Leaguers were there too. The Team was instructed to stay in the Hall of Justice, despite a very vocal argument from myself and Roy, so they were nowhere to be seen.

My eyes stopped in the front row. My dad was there, smiling widely at me. Next to him, my grandfather stood stiff, his pale eyes full of pride. And between the two of them, standing shorter than both of them, was a girl about 11 or 12, with short blonde hair and bright green eyes. It was Alli. I had had the opportunity to meet her during my weeks off earlier in the month and my dad and I both knew we wouldn't be able to keep her away from this life for very long. He had already told her about Ted and himself, who they were, what he was. But when I spoke to her about my training, her eyes lit up, a wide, excited smile spread across her face. She hadn't admitted it then, but we all knew she wanted to get into the family business.

"The Justice League was formed for two reasons." Superman snapped me out of my stupor, making me straighten up a bit and stand at attention, "First, as an acknowledgement that no single individual, no matter how powerful, can solve all the world's problems alone. And second, to uphold the values of truth, liberty and justice. That, uh, last one's even in the name."

He got a few chuckles from the crowd, my dad included, before the Man of Steel turned his head in the direction of the League's inductees, "These six heroes have sworn to uphold those values, and serve the people of the world as members of the Justice League. We thank them for their contributions, not only as heroes, but as global citizens continuing to fight for the common good."

The crowd applauded as Superman went down the line, handing League membership cards to Doctor Fate, the Atom, Plastic Man and Icon. Ollie walked down the line to Roy, handed him his card and shook his hand firmly.

"Congratulations, Roy. You've earned this." I heard GA say to him.

"Thanks, Ollie. For everything."

Someone cleared their throat in front of me. I looked up to see Dinah standing there, a smile on her face, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I am _so_ proud of you, Kara. You've worked so hard for this and now," She handed a membership card to me. Wildcat, Designation 22. It was really happening.

"Dinah, I- you have no idea how much it's meant to me to be your protégé. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor." I was fighting back tears, thankfully the mask hid them from the public eye. Dinah wrapped her arms around me and I hugged her back, "Thank you so much, Dinah."

"No, Kara. Thank you." We let go of each other and I pocketed my membership card. It was official, Wildcat was the newest member of the Justice League. I glanced around Dinah's shoulder at my family, but I was ushered away by Roy.

"You can see them later today. Ollie told me that we have to head to the Watchtower first."

The six of us followed BC, Batman and RT into the Hall, we would enter the Watchtower through the zeta tube in the library, which meant that Roy and I could meet the Team before we went up to HQ.

"Ready to see the inner sanctum?" Canary asked us.

"Born that way." I replied, remembering that first day at the Hall.

"Plus six months." Roy added with a ridiculous grin, slinging his arm around my shoulder.

"I'm sure the Team would want to congratulate you all first."

"You don't know Racquel, that is, Rocket." Icon said warily, "After making her wait inside, congratulations may not be the first thing on her mind."

The doors to the library opened, but-

"Though I thought she would at least stick around."

* * *

Robin had hacked the League's computers several weeks ago to receive any alerts regarding the attaché case that Artemis had let slip during the New Orleans mission. That would have been the only reason why the Team would have left the Hall. I informed Batman and he immediately motioned for me to follow him.

"Canary, Icon. Come with us." He instructed as he walked up to the zeta tube. He punched in the coordinates for the Cave.

" _Recognized: Batman, zero two, Icon, two zero, Black Canary, one three, Wildcat, two two._ "

We waited at the Cave for several hours before the Team returned. Their polar stealth gear was soaked from being out in the snow and they carried with them the attaché case that Sportsmaster had obtained in New Orleans. Kaldur debriefed the four of us on what had happened.

Cheshire had retrieved the case from Sportsmaster and was transporting it cross-country but her plane had gone down over the Rocky Mountains. The Team had gone to investigate, but were ambushed by a very much alive Cheshire, the Riddler, Mammoth and several members of the League of Shadows. They had apprehended the three felons, all of whom were now on their way back to Belle Reve.

"Tell me if this sounds familiar. You hacked League systems, disobeyed protocol and endangered you lives." It sounded like Batman was gonna rip them a new one, but his mood changed in the blink of an eye, "And your initiative resulted in the capture of three escaped felons, proving Warden Strange runs Belle Reve as a cover for criminal activity. Well done."

The Team relaxed. So did I, pulling my mask off my face and walking over to the now open case. Inside it were several small almost microchip-like devices.

"But now there's this." I pulled one of the pieces out of the case to get a closer look, "A form of bio-tech combined with a form of nanocircuitry."

I handed the piece to Icon, "Though I am unfamiliar with the species, the bio-component is clearly not of Earth."

We both looked to Batman. He turned to the Team.

"We'll take it to the Watchtower for further study."

I nodded. Icon placed the bio-tech back in the case and I shut it, before taking it off the table and pulling my mask back over my face. I wanted to stay behind. I wanted to hear what the Team had found, but I couldn't. Not anymore. This was the Team's mission, not the League's. I stepped into the zeta tube after Batman disappeared, glanced back at my former Team for a moment and then I was gone.

* * *

The Watchtower was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and I thought I had seen a lot. The zeta tubes led directly to the League's conference room, where a large U-shaped table sat before a massive glass wall. Below us was a beautiful garden, complete with birds and squirrels. But it was what lay beyond that which pulled my attention so far away that I didn't even notice that Batman had taken the case from my hand. The Eastern Hemisphere was blanketed in darkness, but the lights of cities shown bright in the darkness as the Earth was surrounded by a halo of sunlight. It was... breathtaking.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I was briefly taken out of my stupor when someone placed a hand between my shoulders. I didn't look to see who it was. That was my mistake. A twinge in my neck and all of a sudden, I no longer controlled my own actions. My body stiffened. I couldn't look anywhere but straight ahead, my eyes wouldn't go where I told them to. I was trapped inside my own mind.

I watched helplessly as Roy pressed the nanotech that we had acquired from the Team to the necks of each and every Leaguer. Everyone stiffened like I did, and then as if on command, fell into two files, as though we were soldiers waiting for our commanding officer. This was bad. With the entirety of the Justice League under their control, whoever was behind this could do just about anything.

I heard footsteps approaching, but I didn't turn my head to see who it was. Red Arrow and Batman passed us and approached the zeta tubes. Batman began to type in clearance codes.

"Override. Batman, zero two."

" _Recognized. Access granted. Vandal Savage, A zero four._ " Vandal stepped out of the zeta tube, a wicked smirk on his face. We all fell into ranks and kneeled before him. It made me sick, bowing to that son of a bitch. But I had no choice in the matter. Roy was the only one still standing. All of a sudden, it was as though he had just woken up from a nap. He looked around to see what he had done, a look of pure horror across his face.

"I-, _I_ was the mole?"

"Yes... yes, you were." Savage replied.

No. Not Roy! That- that couldn't be right! I've known him for years! He never would have... but he did. He betrayed us all, whether he knew it or not. I wanted to hate him, I wished that I could. But I couldn't. I could never hate him. Not even after this. I knew he wouldn't have the same mindset. He would despise himself for this. And there was nothing I could do. Nothing the League could do. Savage walked past us toward the glass wall to... bask in his triumph, I assume. Roy bolted toward the zeta tube.

" _Recognized: Red Arrow, two one._ "

If he could make it to the Cave, to the Team, before Savage... it was up to them now. The Team was our only hope at breaking free, at stopping Savage and whatever his plan was.

I couldn't physically speak, so I sent out a silent plea, _"Please_ , _Roy. Hurry. Find the Team. Save us."_

And then my mind went dark.


	27. Chapter 25

**A/N: Well, here we are. The end of Part 1. It's been one hell of a ride, but this is only the beginning. Season 2 will be up and running soon! Big thanks to everyone that's been reading since the start. You guys are the best!**

* * *

 _ **Auld Acquaintance**_

 _Mount Justice_

 _December 31, 07:16 EST_

"We have reason to feel proud of yesterday's victories. But one thing has not changed." Aqualad told his team. They had reconvened after their previous day's victory and were still riding the high of their triumph.

"Somehow the bad guys are still getting inside intel about us." Robin said.

"Yeah, but at least we know none of us were the mole." Kid Flash pointed out as the Team approached Batman and Red Tornado, who had been waiting for them in the mission room.

"That's correct." The Dark Knight pulled up a holographic image of Red Arrow, "The mole was Red Arrow."

Shock fell over the entire Team, even Rocket fell silent in surprise. The three remaining former sidekicks refused to believe it to be true.

"Roy?"

"No way!"

"Batman, that cannot be." Kaldur told his superior, "He was Green Arrow's protégé. We have all known him for years!"

"Unfortunately, the Roy Harper we have known for the last three years is another Project Cadmus clone." Red Tornado explained. Though no one could see it, Superboy tensed at the mention of Cadmus. He still had an axe to grind with both the project and its creator, Lex Luthor.

"We've learned that the real Speedy was abducted and replaced immediately after becoming Green Arrow's sidekick. The clone was pre-programmed with a drive to join the Justice League, which is why he was so angry over any delays to his admission and why he refused to join the Team. This Roy Harper had no idea he was a clone, or a traitor, and his subconscious programming drove him to become... League-worthy. So he struck out on his own as Red Arrow. When he was finally admitted, his secondary programming kicked in and he attempted to betray the League to Vandal Savage."

The Team's shocked looks didn't falter as Batman continued, "Fortunately, I had already deduced Red Arrow was a clone. We were prepared."

"Savage was subdued." RT assured the young heroes, "But Red Arrow escaped. He is now a fugitive, armed and dangerous."

"If you guys hadn't rescued me from Cadmus..." Connor said quietly. He was right; who knows what would have happened if he had remained behind at Project Cadmus?

"Wh-what happened to the real Roy?" Robin asked, though he and the others could already assume.

"We don't know." Batman told him, "He isn't at Cadmus. We have to face the possibility that the real Roy Harper is dead."

Kaldur, Robin and Wally all stiffened in a mix of sadness, anger and determination.

"The clone Roy, the Team will find him." Kaldur said firmly. Batman shook his head.

"Negative. Red Arrow is a member of the Justice League now. Leave him to us." The Dark Knight turned toward the zeta tubes, "I'm needed on the Watchtower. Tornado, stay with the kids."

" _Recognized: Batman, zero two._ "

 _"Clone or no clone, Red Arrow was one of us. We_ will _go after him."_ Kaldur told his friends over the newly established telepathic link. Behind him, RT attempted to place something on his neck, but he short-circuited and powered down before he could reach him.

 _"Tornado!"_

 _"He's completely powered down!"_

 _"All functions offline."_

Zatanna pressed her hands to her temple, _"Guys, I'm sensing a low-level mystic force at play. I don't know if this caused his shutdown, but now that I think about it, I was getting the same vibe off of Batman."_

 _"Batman... he called us kids."_ Robin noted. Something wasn't right, that much was clear. Batman would never refer to them as kids.

 _"Look!"_ Wally had been searching over Red Tornado for evidence of anything that may have caused his shutdown, until he found something in RT's hand, _"One of those bio-chips we confiscated off Cheshire."_

 _"Something is wrong. Robin, Kid, Zatanna, Rocket, see if you can get Tornado back online. The rest of us will find Ro- Red Arrow."_ Kaldur ordered.

* * *

 _Washington D.C._

 _December 31, 13:30 EST_

Flying over D.C., Kaldur, Connor, M'gann and Artemis attempted to contact Wildcat, in an effort to gain information, but there was no response. Kaldur decided that it would be best to find Roy before attempting to get into contact with anyone in the League.

"Computer logs indicate Red Arrow headed to the Hall from the Watchtower. But he could be anywhere by now." Artemis said.

"After Roy went solo, he installed equipment caches in several major cities. One is here." Kaldur explained, pointing in the direction of an abandoned apartment building, "I will go in alone. Wait here."

The Bioship came to a halt a few feet above the roof, allowing Kaldur to land silently on the roof. Without a sound, Kaldur skillfully made his way inside. He stopped outside Apartment 4A and kicked the door off its hinges. He was greeted by an arrow aimed for his heart.

"I have not come to apprehend or harm you." He said calmly, "But the Team requires answers."

"Me, first." 'Roy' said. He sounded exhausted, which made sense considering he had been on the run from the League for over 24 hours, "Tell me something you've never told anyone else."

His grip on his bowstring tightened, "Tell me who broke your heart."

Kaldur sighed, his pale eyes trailing to the floor, "Tula. The girl I once loved chose my best friend, Garth, over me. While my best friend on the surface world aims an arrow at my chest."

He looked the clone in the eye once again. They stared each other down for a moment until Roy lowered his bow and placed his arrow back in his quiver.

"We have the Bioship. Come with us."

Red Arrow nodded once and followed his comrade to the Bioship. Once inside, 'Roy' took a seat in Kara's old place. He sat silently until Kaldur spoke up again.

"We were told you were the mole, but we have reason to doubt-"

"Forget doubt. I _was_ the mole." Red Arrow admitted.

"Batman and Tornado said you were a Cadmus clone, like me." Connor told him.

"That explains it." He scoffed, "I was a sleeper agent; pre-programmed to infiltrate the League. I think Sportsmaster was my handler. He had this phrase... 'Broken Arrow'... that could shut me down. It'd put me in a hypnotic state to steal secrets for his superiors or incorporate further programming. I'd then carry out all orders subconsciously, completely unaware of what drove me," He turned to face Connor, M'gann and Artemis, "I think one of those orders was to focus suspicion on you three... I'm... sorry."

"How did Batman discover this and prevent you from betraying the League?" Kaldur asked him.

"He didn't."

Bile rose in the back of the clone's throat, realizing the magnitude of what he had done.

"Everyone in the League is under the complete mental control of Vandal Savage. Enslaved using what Savage called 'Starro-Tech', those bio-chips you guys lifted from Cheshire. One implanted in the neck grants Savage remote control of their actions."

"I'm sorry, but how is it that you're no longer enslaved?" M'gann asked him politely.

"No Starro-Tech for starters. Just my," He shuddered, "Cadmus programming. Once I satisfied my final parameters, my mind began to clear. I'm sure Savage planned to Starro-Tech me, but he paused to... bask. I escaped, but he sent GA, Flash and Aquaman to track me down. I was able to lose them in the subway system."

"I promise I can clean any residual programming from your mind." M'gann said warmly. The shame kept its claws deep in the clone's mind, it would take more than a reboot to help him get past this.

 _"Here, Robin, linking both squads and decamouflaging."_ M'gann's voice echoed in the minds of everyone on the Bioship and on the Supercycle below.

 _"Good."_ Robin replied, _"Cause we_ really _need to compare notes."_

* * *

 _The Watchtower_

 _December 31, 23:16 EST_

Red Arrow, Red Tornado and Black Canary returned promptly to the Watchtower to report back to Vandal Savage. It was an act of course, thanks to the work done by Drs. Roquette and Spence, Queen Mera and Dr. Vulko, that would hopefully buy the Team some time to enter the Watchtower without being detected.

" _Recognized: Black Canary, one three, Red Tornado, one six, Red Arrow, two one._ "

The trio approached Savage, who had been there waiting for them. Beyond him, Klarion the Witch Boy hovered in midair, his usual wicked grin glued to his wicked face, and Hal Jordan standing silently, waiting for orders.

"Any problems?" Savage asked the returning Leaguers.

"Despite an initial setback, I was able to re-infect Red Tornado and Red Arrow." Canary said monotonously.

"As well as the entire Team." Tornado added, "They await reprogramming back on Earth."

Savage paused for a moment, then grinned, "I think not. You see, Starro-Tech does not reprogram the mind, it grants us remote control of it."

"We know exactly who's infected and who's not. And none of you are!" Kalrion shouted. Hal rose up into the air, sending beams of green light down on his fellow Leaguers, binding all three of them and sending them to their knees. Savage stepped forward, pulling several Starro-Tech chips from a pocket in his coat.

"But that is easily rectified." Savage said. He walked around the trio, placing Starro-Tech chips on their necks as he continued to speak.

"Fifty thousand years of life and nothing has ever troubled me as much as the founding of the Justice League. Dedicated to maintaining society's calcified status quo. The League would protect mankind from disaster, crime, tragedy of any kind. Have you never heard of 'survival of the fittest'? In essence, you heroes sought to protect humanity from its own glorious evolution. As such, you forced my more... enlightened colleagues and myself to organize a response. We created or co-opted networks of operatives, placed key individuals in key positions, made certain we were on the cutting edge of all new technologies: genetic engineering, biochemical engineering, robotics, nano-robotics, even techno-sorcery. Not to mention every conceivable method of mind control. Cold, hard science, a little misdirection, and now you, champions of stagnation, have become our agents of change, forcing the human race to evolve on a more advanced schedule, allowing Earth to take its rightful place at the center of the Cosmos."

Green Lantern released the three and they stood stiff, waiting.

"The brats are aboard!" Klarion exclaimed, "They've already taken away four of my toys!"

Savage turned to look up at him, "Recall all League away missions. It's time to put these children in their place, once and for all."

"Finally!"

Teekl, Klarion's demonic cat who had been sitting loyally on his master's shoulders, mewed quietly to him, reminding him of something, "Oh yeah. Hey, Vandal, shouldn't those three be back online by now?"

"What?!" Savage's eyes went wide as Canary let out a scream, sending Jordan flying into the nearest concrete wall. Tornado slung a red cyclone in Savage's direction but it had no effect on him. Canary sent out another cry, this time in the direction of Klarion, as Red Arrow placed a Cure-Tech chip on Hal. The Witch Boy conjured up earmuffs for both himself and his familiar.

"You'll be sorry." He singed.

Above them, a boom tube opened, and from it came Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Wildcat, Hawkwoman, John Stewart, and finally, Batman. The seven charged toward the cured trio, taking them all down quickly and efficiently.

"The children have clearly reverse-engineered a Starro-Tech cure and vaccine. So there's no point in taking them alive." Savage said calmly.

"Goody." Klarion said, his grin growing wider. Savage turned to the seven infected heroes.

"Find the children. Kill them all."

* * *

In one of the Watchtower cargo bays, Kid Flash and Artemis were outnumbered by Green Arrow, Flash and Aquaman. Aqualad was on his way to help while M'gann, Rocket and Zatanna went to assist Robin and Superboy in the gardens. All that Artemis and Wally could do now was remain on the defensive until Kaldur arrived.

 _"I'm amazed we're still alive."_ Artemis admitted.

 _"It's 'cause they're being controlled. Their actions depend on whoever's pulling their strings. The very thing putting us in danger is the only thing that's giving us a chance."_ Wally explained.

 _"Artemis, Kid!"_ Kaldur ran into the cargo bay, shut the door and locked it, keeping his grip tight on the door, _"Now!"_

Artemis loosed a grappling arrow, lodging it into the door not far from Kaldur's hand. Artemis gripped her bow with both hands as Wally ran up behind her and did the same.

 _"Hold on!"_

 _"Holding!"_

Kaldur opened the bay doors, sending debris and various crates out into space. As the Leaguers attempted to reach their protégés, they were sucked away toward the open doors. Kaldur shut the doors quickly, just as the three heroes were about to be launched into the dark vacuum of space. They slammed against the metal doors and fell to the floor, unconscious. KF sped over and placed Cure-Tech chips on all three of them. Together, Kaldur, Wally and Artemis watched their mentors for a moment.

"Apologies, my king." Kaldur said quietly.

 _"Guys! We need back up in here now!"_ Robin shouted over the telepathic link.

 _"We are on our way!"_ Kaldur replied as the three of them took off toward the garden.

* * *

When they arrived at the outcropping above the gardens, Wally, Artemis and Kaldur found Robin going hand to hand with Batman, Connor struggling to keep Superman down, M'gann in a psychic state against her uncle and Rocket containing Wonder Woman in a force-field bubble. As far as they could see, Green Lantern and Hawkwoman were already unconscious. Wally and Artemis rushed to aid their friends, but were sent flying into the wall by a black blur. When it finally stopped in front of Kaldur, the Atlantean's heart dropped to the floor. Wildcat stood before him, emotionless. Three metal claws extended over each hand, through holes in her untaped hands, a thin trail of blood trickling down each of them.

"Kara." He breathed, as though the sound of his voice would break her free from Savage's control. It didn't. She lunged at him, with a speed he had never seen before. He was able to react though, jumping out of the way before she could reach him. He didn't want to fight her, he didn't think he _could._ And that was exactly what Savage wanted. He dodged Kara's jabs and kicks, silently sending a thanks to Black Canary, before sending a punch of his own. He made contact with Kara's jaw, sending her sliding backwards a few feet, but it wasn't enough to keep her down.

She charged again, this time dodging Kaldur's swings, before finding the opportunity to drag her claws against his exposed left side. He groaned and stumbled back, setting his hand on his side. When he pulled it back, he saw his own blood dripping down his hand. He scowled, and looked angrily back at Kara. Enough was enough. He drew his water bearers and saw Kid helping Artemis stand up again.

 _"Kid!"_ He called out to his friend telepathically. The speedster looked over at him and Kara and nodded. Kaldur's water bearers turned into swords. He and Kara both lunged, locking their respective blades with a loud, metallic clang. They pushed against each other, both fighting for the upper hand, their attentions focused solely on the fight. That meant that Kara was exposed, giving Kid the perfect opening. He sped in and place a Cure-Tech chip on Kara's neck. She went rigid, her claws sliding back into her hands, then fell forward, unconscious. Kaldur replaced his water bearers in his pack, his heart heavy, and turned to see how the rest of his Team was faring. He had lost all track of time, but it was finally over. At least, the easy part was.

The remaining infected Leaguers were down. Which meant it was time to confront Vandal Savage. They ran to the mission room, but when they arrived, he disappeared, along with Klarion. They stood in silence for a moment or two, until Red Tornado, who was currently missing his limbs spoke up.

"Congratulations, Team. You have won the day."

A holographic clock appeared in front of them, followed by the computer's A.I. voice.

" _Happy New Year, Justice League._ "

Auld Lang Syne began to play as Wally scooped Artemis up in his arms.

"I should've done this a long time ago." He admitted.

"No duh." Artemis smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips. Connor and M'gann turned to each other and did the same as Zatanna grabbed Robin by the sleeve and pulled him in.

Kaldur sighed, walking toward the glass wall that overlooked the gardens. Down below, he saw the final seven Leaguers begin to rise. Kara had removed her mask and was being helped up by Batman and Superman. The former looked up at Kaldur, and as though they themselves had a telepathic link, both understood what the other was telling them.

They needed to talk.

* * *

Batman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Red Arrow, Black Canary, Red Tornado and Wildcat all sat with Robin and Aqualad at the League's conference table. The members of the Team had long since returned to the Cave and the League was being checked out in the Watchtower infirmary. Red Arrow leaned heavily on the table in front of him.

"Everything I thought I knew about myself was a lie." He said, his mind distant, "I'm not a hero, or a sidekick. I'm a traitor, a pawn."

"Roy," Kara tried to set a comforting hand on her companion's shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"I'm not Roy." He said quickly, "I don't know what I am. All I know is that I need to find the real Roy. I need to rescue Speedy."

"Guardian is already searching Cadmus." Batman told him, "After being cleared, the rest of the League will arrive to assist in the search."

Red Arrow nodded, then stood to leave. Black Canary and Green Arrow went with him, followed by Aquaman, who claimed he needed to return to Atlantis at once. Wildcat remained in a daze, her normally bright gray eyes had turned to a dull shade.

"Something else is wrong." Batman said quietly, "What is it, Dick?"

The Boy Wonder sighed, pulling up several images on the holo-computer.

"The entire League was under Savage's control for just over a day. We've accounted for most of that time, but these seven Leaguers disappeared for a full sixteen hours we can't account for."

Batman and Wildcat looked up to see not only their images, but Superman, Wonder Woman, John Stewart, Hawkwoman and Martian Manhunter."

"Sixteen hours." Wildcat breathed, her eyes filling with fear, her entire body starting to shake, "What did we do?"


End file.
